In this year’s Best of the Best, we continue to honour the brands and people who have continued to create covetable products, even in the midst of a global pandemic. Here we have Minotti’s Daiki win ‘best chair’ in the design category
At this point, it’s fair to say mid-century-modern design has experienced a renaissance far beyond its supposed ’60s-era expiration date. The movement’s unfussy, function-first mantra came back into style in the late ’90s and early 2000s, when brands like Knoll and Herman Miller exploded in popularity; designers and homeowners still clamour for Marcel Breuer and Hans Wegner originals in 2021. There’s not much room, then, to create something mid-century-adjacent that’s both fresh and interesting. And yet Daiki, designed by renowned Brazilian architect Marcio Kogan, manages to bring something new to the table – or, rather, the chair.
The twist to the mid-century formula comes courtesy of Kogan’s many trips to Japan. Daiki is a tribute to the country’s design tradition, marrying subtle elegance with the bold, overt lines of American modernism. Because of its similar-but-different take on a beloved aesthetic, it can be paired with virtually any other piece: doubly so because the cushions come in fabric or leather and the wooden shell in beech plywood with a flamed ash veneer or palisander santos with a matte lacquer finish. Add armrests, if you like, or go for Daiki’s outdoor version (shown here). But like any good mid-century seat, function comes first, and Kogan’s design has a deep, low-slung base that’s a real pleasure to sit back and relax in.
