Michael Manes, president of M2L, has created a collection of modern designs unlike any in the market. He has a knack for finding new classics from Europe and re-introducing them to US market with great success. His most recent iconic find is the Mondial, a little-known Rietveld chair from the fifties.
According to Manes, The market is over-saturated with the same modern products. M2L is looking for solutions that are fresh, yet still have the design integrity of mid-century modernism. We are always shopping for original designs for our clients. The Mondial, like our recent introduction of the Archizoom chair, is an instant classic that will resonate with the American design community.
The Mondial chair was designed as a chair for the people by Gerrit Rietveld in 1957. Launched at the Milan Biennale and celebrated at the World Exhibition in Brussels, this award-winning design was ahead of its time. Production limitations back in the 50s made the Mondial a limited-edition collectible – currently part of design museum collections around the world. Mondial is now produced to Rietvelds original specification using state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques.
The sleek, minimalist line of the Mondial forms a simple K-profile. Designed as a stackable chair, its back, seat, legs and optional armrests come together at one central torsion tube. The back and the seat are pressed out of an aluminum sheet and joined by poprivets. The armrest is part bakelite, while the frame is constructed from a bent steel sheet. The caps on the legs are in black PVC.
The Mondial was tested and approved by TNO according to ISO 7173, test level 3, making it suitable for contract settings. It is available in 6 colors: grey, metallic, white, red, blue and yellow.
Founded in 1992, M2L distributes authorized and licensed modern designs from Europe. M2L has introduced a myriad of iconic designers to the American market, that include: Josef Hoffmann, Eileen Gray, Walter Gropius, Eero Aarino and Pierre Paulin, as well as today’s design stars like Paolo Piva, Patrick Norguet, Norman Foster, Eoos, Pearson-Lloyd, Jeff Miller and more. M2L products can be seen on their website as well as their three stunning showrooms: 215 East 58th Street, NYC 10022, 3334 Cady’s Alley, Washington DC 20007 and 104 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02116. For more information, contact them at 800-319-8222 or visit www.m2lcollection.com.
