Happy Birthday Charles!

In a time when trends easily pass away and hardly a product manage to become a real icon, 20 years of honoured market placement for the Charles sofa are newsworthy for sure.

Everything began in 1997: the modular seats system by Antonio Citterio was marketing by B&B. They knew for sure it was a very good product, but who knows if they were aware of the longevity it would have had, being a so-called longseller.

What determined the great success of this design product, making it being at the top of all the sales charts, even all around the world, so to consecrate both the brand from Novedrate and Antonio Citterio to a world renown?

There are many reasons for sure and collect those would be so useless. Clearly a fundamental reason lies into the “Timeless Design” concept that B&B had developed during its long career, thanks also to the many cooperation with Italian and international designers.

If the three main words about B&B are “design, quality, innovation” it is quite clear that the company is leading towards the future, with particular attention to news, latest trends and market needs, never like now, in continuous evolution. Yet into the B&B catalogue there are stably “old” pieces, which are still collecting sales success and that seems they do not want to go away. How come they have this special status?

When you’re talking about design, you have not to make the mistake of thinking about a trend. Design is a set of qualities, an amalgam of features and concepts, that every time mix and balance themselves, giving shape to always new ideas. Looking at the future is not possible without thinking about what the great designers from the past have left us.

With this key it is easy to comprehend the Antonio Citterio’s words, with whom he presented his Charles in 1997:

            “Charles is a tribute to Fifties and Sixties design. In this case, the name obviously refers to that of Charles Eames. I think this is a good way to declare references, similarities, contaminations. I think it’s important not to deny these aspects.

Every architect and designer’s work passes through that of others, but too often there is a tendency just to copy: it’s the easiest way. As far as I’m concerned, I try not to copy but to perceive and assimilate aspects specific to the work of great masters. Certain similarities are more in spirit than in fact, which means that there aren’t Fifties or Sixties products similar to Charles.

The fact remains however that those products contain the idea of certain elements which I developed in Charles. I’m interested in reproducing the spirit and not just the form and so I think it only fitting to openly declare, even if only in the name, this reference to the spirit”

Spirit and shape that melt down in a timeless product. The sign that bows in a no more temporal space, but immortal, gaining a completely different value from the trends passing, destined to stay as a fixed style and elegance detail, a real must of the future design.

Meanwhile, do not wait for tomorrow to fully enjoy quality and comfort from this great B&B sofa, take advantage now of the 20^th anniversary special edition, with the exclusive red/orange and grey/blue colours, of course available on Ciat Design.

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