Vladimir Kagan (1927 – 2016), American Furniture Designer

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Vladimir Kagan curved sensual sofa

Vladimir Kagan (1927 – 2016) was a German American furniture designer.  He was born in Worms am Rhein. He was active in New York.

Education

He studied architecture at Columbia University, New York.

Biography

He settled in the USA in 1938 and 1947. He joined his father’s woodworking shop; in the late 1940s, he began designing furniture; he designed the 1947–48 Delegates’ Cocktail Lounge in the first United Nations headquarters, Lake Success, New York.

In 1950, a showroom opened on 57th Street, New York. His corporate clients included General Electric, Monsanto, Prudential Insurance, Pioneer Industries, Warner Communications, and American Express. Kenyon and Eckhart advertising. Walt Disney Enterprises and A&P. Furniture clients included Marilyn Monroe. Xavier Cougard, Lily Pons, and Sherman Fairchild. 

He set up Vladimir Kagan Design Group and became active as an interior design consultant to the home furnishings and contract industry: he closed his factory and showroom. He continued to design for manufacturers Directional, Giorgio Collection, and The Lane Company, Alpha Metallix. Preview Furniture and David Lynch; had interior design clients including Du Pont family, Wilmington, Delaware; and Black Clawson headquarters, New York. In New York, he was president of the American Society of Interior Designers; president ASID New York Chapter: chair. Advisory Commission of the School of Art and Design: member. Architectural League and American Society of Furniture Designers; taught at Parsons School of Design: lectured widely on Modern architecture and furniture design.

What Style Is Vladimir Kagan?

Kagan was best known for its forms like boomerangs and curves. There’s also an Asian undercurrent, a constantly feeding stream in the design world. Kagan also challenged a time-honoured belief that the most comfortable method of furniture construction was inner-spring seats with loose, down-filled cushions on top. Starting in the 1950s, he experimented with newly invented rubber products that enabled him to build comfort into tight seats and back upholstery. (Henderson, 2006)

Inside Furniture Design Vladimir Kagan’s Home

Sources

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing. https://amzn.to/3ElmSlL

Henderson. (2006, February 19). Simple, Clean Lines Make Kagan’s Pieces Classic. The Baltimore Sun 19 Feb 2006, page Page N4 – Newspapers.com. Retrieved April 24, 2023, from https://www.newspapers.com/image/248405201/?terms=%22Vladimir%20Kagan%22&match=1

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