It is the kind of chair that everyone has already seen somewhere, but whose origins few know. However, Airborne’s AA chair has a fascinating history: born in the army, it then traveled from Argentina to New York, before finally settling in Europe. Here is the story of a great chair.
A base, two ears and four sleeves: these simple elements that form the Airborne AA chair have made it famous at the same time. It is also called the Butterfly armchair precisely because of this recognizable butterfly silhouette.
“Today it is a huge icon of design”, in the words of Hélène Aguilar, author of the French podcast where is the beauty, of which she gives an entire episode to the mythical chair. “Here is an armchair with singular lines which, paradoxically, stands out for its simplicity and purity. It is also called the Butterfly Chair, because it is true that its shape can make you think of a butterfly that is ready to take flight. »
Durability and Versatility
Recognized, it is also recognized because its design has stood the test of time. “When you buy it, it’s for life, it’s to give it to your children,” says Aurélie Sauthier, from Made In, a company that distributes Airborne’s AA chair in Canada. The fact that Made In imports it in bulk makes it possible to obtain a price similar to that of the French market, starting at $1375 for the structure and the cover.
Finesse and comfort, these are the two words with which Aurélie Sauthier describes the AA armchair. “A good part of the Airborne clientele is for second homes,” she says. Indeed, one of the greatest advantages of the chair lies in its versatility, since it can be used both indoors and outdoors. All you need are two covers, one that is weatherproof for the summer season, and the other that you can use when the chair moves into the house for the winter.
PHOTO ERIC MATHERON BALAY, PROVIDED BY MADE IN DISTRIBUTION
Some covers can easily be used outdoors, such as cotton covers or the Batyline model.
The AA chair rhymes with “long evenings remaking the world with friends or family,” says Hélène Aguilar in her podcast. “I remember staying in a house I rented some time ago with friends, lost in the middle of nature, and with a string of those very special armchairs on the terrace: the Airborne AAs. »
In fact, the chair turns out to be very comfortable, according to those who have tried it. It must be said that its size is more imposing than one might think. We find ourselves sitting there a bit like in a cocoon, summarizes Aurélie Sauthier.
The Airborne chair is very large. You don’t necessarily realize it, but when you sit on it, your head pops into your ear.
Aurélie Sauthier, from Made In
Another particularity: it gives the impression of being seated in the air, since the fabric which is slipped around its tubular structure plays both the role of backrest and seat. “So we are like suspended in the void, it’s really a new and unique feeling”, describes Hélène Aguilar again.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MADE IN DISTRIBUTION
The double white stitching seen on the black cover is one of the signature elements that proves the chair is an original.
His history
Before making its way into the posh second homes of Europe, it’s hard to believe that the Butterfly chair began its ascent in… the army. Indeed, its ancestor, the Tripolina chair, quickly became very popular with the military. It was also called Fenby Chair, named after the British engineer who created this wooden folding chair in the middle of the 19th century.e century.
Then, in 1938, three designers – two Argentinians, one Catalan – were inspired by it to develop a model they called BKF, a name derived from their three initials. They then replaced the folding wooden structure with metal. Around this structure was inserted a leather cover.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MADE IN DISTRIBUTION
Covers are offered in several materials, but leather is certainly the most classic.
This armchair was a great success and even entered the collections of MOMA in New York. But it was not until the 1950s that the chair was brought back to Europe, when the director of the journal architecture today fell under his spell during a stay in the United States.
“This is where the story of the AA chair really began,” says Aurélie Sauthier. Because indeed, it was when the chair was brought back to France that the company Airborne, directed by Charles Bernard, became the exclusive publisher of the chair, which will be baptized AA (yes, in reference to the initials of the magazine which produced it). allowed discovery). Airborne has since been acquired in 2010 by two women, Christine Pfeiffer and Patricia Lejeune.
Today, the chair comes with a multitude of color and material choices, ranging from linen to cotton and of course leather, the brand’s classic. For the real ones who have had their AA chair for years, know that the new covers still work perfectly on the old models. A rarity these days, where many products on the market are victims of obsolescence.