Tables by Alexandra Von Furstenberg
by habituallychic
03 . 01 . 08
I heard Alexandra Von Furstenberg was launching a line of furniture a few months ago but couldn’t find any information until now. For the few of you who don’t know, Ms. Von Furstenberg is one of the Miller sisters and was formerly married to Diane Von Furstenberg’s son. She is well bred and well traveled so I was interested to see what she would come up with but must admit that I am disappointed. According to the New York Times, her collection is made up of “sculptural high-gloss plastic tables that are injected with neon colors and named after diamonds (and priced like diamonds, too)” from $7,000 to $60,000!
I see where she was going with it. She said, “It’s the same thing everywhere: the same handbag, the same painting hanging on the wall, the same car. I wanted to make something in limited editions with love.” But I don’t feel like she has a handle on the mood now. And I don’t mean trends, I mean the mood of what’s going on in the country. We’re going through a recession now and people are spending more time at home. They want a space that is cozy and embraces them in a big hug. They don’t want to come home to furniture that looks like they might poke them in the eye or cut their shin. I think that’s why people have responded so positively to the interiors in Atonement and now Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. Not to mention the fact that the tables cost more than some cars. I’m curious as to what everyone else thinks.
23 Comments
Oh please another vapid socialite with a vanity project.
I completely agree…perhaps she feels she can charge a small fortune for a plastic table because her last name is Von Furstenberg!
I am with you – poking is the word that comes to mind when looking at those tables! Not to mention that those neons are slightly scary!!
I had heard about this furniture line as well, and was so dissapointed to see these tables. These are nothing short of hideous and would make a fool of anyone who pays $60,000 for them! Re-inventing the triangle in shiny plastic is not a new or relevant idea. This whole concept is nothing short of insulting to consumers and to actual furniture designers.
Honestly, I can’t even get past those shoes and that hair. Talk about working girl! I don’t have $60K to blow on anything, but if I did, it would be on several large French antique pieces.
don’t tell me that furniture designer is the new jewelry designer…
the tables- not so good, or so bad. the prices? ridiculous. lucite is never an inexpensive material to work with, but those prices have no relationship to reality whatsoever. kinda gross, and makes you wonder- wtf is she thinking?
I agree re the mood of the country right now; however, there will always be clients able and willing to spend that much money on a table. It’s the law of the marketplace. And I do agree with Ms von Fürstenberg, re limited editions and their inherent desirability. That being said, I think Baron Albrizzi handled Lucite better. Also, Maison 21, Lucite may not be a costly material but finishing it seamlessly isn’t an easy task. As for the prices, well, they are not that shocking, when you consider what else on the market is selling for that much. What disappoints me, however, is the banality of her designs.
The orange triangle table reminds me of traffic cones.
well, i like the idea of trying to do something completely different and i like the idea of limited editions. i also really like it when someone just goes for it. you never know if it’s a good idea unless you try. that said, i think a triangle is not my favorite shape. they do look prickly. maybe if you pushed 6 of them together and made a big mixed up rectangle? of course it WOULD set you back the price of a small house…
now i have to go look up atonement.
AND the booth is 841 for the ad show if you can make it. i believe the 6th is free to the trade.
I personally have never gravitated toward triangular shapes, but I could see these in a contemporary commercial setting perhaps. But the price, uhuh! I agree with you HC on the mood of the country now, but also anytime! Who wants to come home in fear of being stabbed by one’s own belongings?!
I even find Kartel’s Philippe Stark ghost line a bit pricey, but absolutely love every piece (instead of buying 6 rose tinted Ghost Chairs for my dining room, I bought one to sit against the wall). While absolutely modern, they drip with a sense of nostalgia, offering a cheeky take on antiquity — which I also think is a current mood these days. Despite the modern look to these, they don’t seem that current. In fact, they seem very ’70s. I suppose a favorable comparison would be Donald Judd’s work at Dia Beacon http://www.diabeacon.org/exhibs_b/judd/index.html. And since they’re not Donald Judd, well, they’re certainly not worth that price.
I’m so glad we are all in agreement here!
Some years ago she had her own line of children’s clothes…Another one that you need to get a Mortgage in order to buy a dress! She is now an interior designer?? Spare me the pain! Let design to people that spend years studying and have imagination and vision!
Her sister Marie-Chantal has a children’s clothing line. Is that perhaps the one you are thinking of? Either way, they seem like vanity projects.
I’m not impressed. I like the limited edition aspect of the line, and the prices are certainly within the reach of some, but overall, the furniture is not visually appealling to me.
I cannot wait until my children are older and I can get rid of the mountain of plastic that we have quickly accumulated. These tables would not be in the running to fill the void. Besides, I’m more of around table and bakelite man myself.
ikea like!
Hello again
You might be right in regards who launched the clothing line…they do look alike…Ah Park avenue Doctors!!
Still i see no thought, no vision. Just a girl who has the money and the connections to play around; like all these Ex-models, Actresses, etc that lately they are also Designers of clothes, Jewellery…God knows what! Stick to your day job!
The straw that broke the camel’s back is the fact that her logo is a lipstick “kiss”. BLECH! T A C K Y if you ask me. Why is tacky becoming so expensive these days?
Ouch. Okay… I’ll have to agree with your initial assessment: not so fabulous. And anything but cozy. I can see my shins would be bleeding as I strolled through the living room in the dark.
But where there are the rich and famous, there are sycophants. Something tells me she’ll have no shortage of buyers 😉
I agree with design dna, I admire the ones that have the chutzpah to be bold.
As Frank Sinatra said, “Let’s land the plane, do a concert for a couple mil” – So you see, tables like these cater to not only the wealthy, but the sharp!
Ouch to my wallet and to triangles! Band-aid please!
I’m sure that she paid someone to do this for her. My guess is that she is simply the $$$ behind a cool idea. Her prices are so high, I hope she has with wisdom to pay this person really well so they will not quit. ALSO: Did she take the logo design from DVF – she uses lips too… wow what a original idea…. talk about taking the family name and using it….
it’s so nice to backtrack on this and see that most people in the world have a brain….check out this more affordable collection: http://www.SpectrumWest.net