BACK IN BUSINESS: A COTERIE OF OFFICE CHAIRS

Just how safe for work are the latest crop of office chairs by the likes of Herman Miller, Vitra, and Wilkhahn? PIN–UP asked four professionals to test these high-performance designs for their executive realness. Scroll down to discover Beverly, Leoncia, Missy, and Santhya getting down to business.

MISSY + SETU

Setu Chair by Herman Miller


Missy, a 26-year-old nutritionist from the Bronx who has appeared in Stuntin and Stunnaz magazines, is giving Herman Miller’s Setu Conference Stool an executive whirl. Designed by Studio 7.5, the Setu is equipped with ribbon arms, a java-frame finish, and an ergonomic two-suspension seat and back. The adjustable height allows for an eye-to-eye playing field at any level, making the Setu a sleek and functional office force to be reckoned with. Jacket by Kenzo, shirt by Beckett Fogg, pants by H&M, shoes by Georgeana Ortiz for Cesare Paciotti.

LEONCIA + PHYSIX

Physix Chair by Vitra


Designed by Alberto Meda, Vitra’s Physix chair is equipped with modern elastics for maximum flexibility. Supported by a multi-threaded knitted fabric and comprising 55 percent of recycled materials, the Physix offers both ecological sustainability and a compact design specifically intended to protect the lumbar area. Such practical benefits are destined to keep Leoncia — a 28-year-old model and dancer from Queens who has strutted her assets for Hush and Sweets magazines — always on top of her business. Dress by Guess, belt by Zana Bayne, shoes by Pedro García, jewelry by Kenneth Jay Lane.

SANTHYA + SAYL

SAYL Chair by Herman Miller


With its Y-shaped frame, the Yves Béhar-designed SAYL Chair by Herman Miller allows a full range of motions while providing optimal support for the lumbar, sacrum, and thoracic areas. Santhya, an aspiring recording artist who was trained in traditional Sri Lankan Bharatanatyam dance, also appreciates the SAYL’s hinge points that facilitate the forward rotation of the pelvis. Backed by so much avant-garde technology, Santhya can now fully concentrate on climbing the corporate ladder, one stiletto at a time. Jacket and skirt by Adidas, blouse by American Apparel, jewelry by Kenneth Jay Lane, shoes by Cole Haan.

BEVERLY + ON

On Chair by Wilkhahn


26-year-old Beverly finds comfort in the On Chair, a brand-new model created by design collective Wiege for the high-end German office-furniture company Wilkhahn. Trimension technology and 3D synchro-supporting kinematics produced a chair whose extreme swivel points support the body’s full range of motion while maintaining its center of gravity. Dress by Galliano, jacket by Adidas, jewelry by Kenneth Jay Lane, shoes by Bebe.

MISSY + EMBODY

Embody Chair by Herman Miller


Nutritionist and Hunter College student Missy appears again, throwing all her weight into Herman Miller’s Embody, an office chair designed by Bill Stumpf and Jeff Weber and made out of 95-percent recyclable material. Just as the Embody’s spine-like back is designed to improve blood circulation, so Missy is sure to set pulses racing when she’s wearing her NSFW attire. 

Photography by Marco Roso. Styling by Hayley Pisaturo. Stylist’s assistant: Emily Gruca. Production by Anthony Valdez. Special thank you to Lauren Boyle, Stephen Froese, Suzanne Geiss, and Official Glam Girls.

A collaboration with DIS Magazine. Originally published in PIN–UP 14, Spring Summer 2014.