Herman Miller teams up with the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum for an enchanting New Mexico-inspired collection

It’s no surprise that New Mexico, with its otherworldly terrain, ethereal light and never-ending sky, has been dubbed the ‘Land of Enchantment.’ As such, the southwestern state was a magnet for creatives, among them designers Susan and Alexander Girard; Charles and Ray Eames; and–most famously–Georgia O’Keeffe. While their mediums and styles differed, these artists formed a special friendship and creative cross-pollination ensued.

To wit: O’Keeffe, on a visit to the Girards’ Santa Fe home, spied an upholstered Eames chair. She loved it so much that the Eameses gifted her a special prototype, a design that O’Keeffe termed the ‘smallest, best chair.’

‘While O’Keeffe collected many pieces of furniture in her lifetime, the chair from the Eameses was so special to her she asked for a second,’ said Giustina Renzoni, director of historic properties at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. ‘She kept one of the chairs in her studio along with nods to the table’s snake design in other areas of her home including a rattle snake skeleton and Girard-designed snake pillow.’

Discover Herman Miller's dynamic New Mexico Collection

Soon, you will be able to bring the essence of the Land of Enchantment–plus some serious mid-century design pedigree–into your own home. Herman Miller has teamed up with the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum on the New Mexico Collection, two limited-run products which channel the rich legacies and friendship between O’Keeffe, the Girards, and the Eameses.

The collection, which will be released in tandem with NYCxDESIGN festival (15-21 May), consists of the ‘Girard Snake Table’, based on a never-released prototype designed by Alexander Girard, and a special ‘bikini’ version of the ‘Eames Wire Chair Low Base', designed by the Eames Office.

‘We were honoured when the museum reached out to work together to celebrate the profound legacies of Georgia O'Keeffe, Charles and Ray Eames, and Alexander Girard,’ Jennifer Nield, vice president of lifestyle, at MillerKnoll told Wallpaper* in a statement. ‘There is an Eames Chair prototype on permanent exhibition at the museum, given to Georgia by the Eameses, that captures a spirit of creative camaraderie that we’ve always cherished. This was the initial jumping off point for the collection.’

To bring these designs to life, the Herman-Miller team relied primarily on archival drawings and materials, including original prototypes for the snake table and the original chair that the Eameses gave to O’Keeffe.

‘This collection is a testament to our ongoing commitment to preserving and reimagining the visionary work of these creative pioneers, and we’re excited to share it with the world during NYCxDESIGN,’ Nield said.

In 1958, O’Keeffe told Susan Girard, ‘One of the things that makes your home so very special is the feeling of attention that you give to every little detail of it’–an elegant encapsulation of this charming duo.

Herman Miller is providing an exclusive preview of both limited-run designs, on 20 May during NYCxDESIGN. The first 100 visitors to Herman Miller's New York store at 251 Park Avenue South will receive a bandana, inspired by the Girard Snake motif. Both designs will be available for purchase from Herman Miller online in North America from 20 May, and in Japan later in May. hermanmiller.com