It’s not difficult to have imagery of the namesake marsupial evoked when looking at the Fauteuil Kangourou. Designed by Jean Prouvé in the 1940s, the lounge chair appears to be in a constant state of recline, even though it remains stationary. Swiss-based furniture house Vitra has reissued over 20 silhouettes from the late French designer, but the Fauteuil Kangourou is arguably the most notable.
Since 2002, Vitra has worked alongside the Prouvé family to debut the likes of the Lampe de Bureau desklamp and the iconic Cité armchair. Unveiled this past June in a blue fabric colorway, the Fauteuil Kangourou saw its first re-edition release. It was limited to 150 and sold out very quickly. Even the 1948 original was made in extremely limited quantities for select clients. Vitra knew the second iteration would be just as special, and so they held to quantity to just 100.
Just like the previous version from a few months ago, this new release is made from an oak wood base and steel front legs and upholstered with a woven bouclé fabric — all materials originally used by Prouvé. This time, the fabric swaps the blue with a lighter cream color. Likewise, the blue metal legs and light wooden base have reverted back to the designer’s original hues: cream and dark brown, respectively. What makes the lounge chair so impressive isn’t just that it’s now a mid-century icon but that it’s engineered with excellence as well, constructed to optimize weight distribution and comfort.
While this second edition of the Fauteuil Kangourou is already sold out, Vitra hints at more releases to come in the future, so keep your ear to the ground on the company’s website and social media pages.
