Cover Here are some designer chairs featured in Japanese series ‘Spy x Family’ volume covers (Photo: stylised from Getty Images; edited by Angela Nicole Guiral)
Here are some designer chairs featured in Japanese series ‘Spy x Family’ volume covers (Photo: stylised from Getty Images; edited by Angela Nicole Guiral)
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Discover some of the design references in the popular Japanese series ‘Spy x Family’
People always scramble when they see real-life historical references in fictional shows. Fans of the Japanese series Spy x Family are no exception, who continuously marvel at the familiar designer chairs featured in the manga—or comics—the show was based on.
Every volume cover presents a character seated on a chair, with the person and furniture piece telling a story. One doesn’t just learn about the cast but also the history of the mid-20th century art and design movements that depict Spy x Family’s style and setting. Discover some of the designer chairs in the series below.
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Le Corbusier LC2
Above Le Corbusier LC2 armchair
Above ‘Spy x Family’ Volume 1 cover
Le Corbusier LC2 armchair
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Spy x Family’s first volume features one of the main characters—Loid Forger—seated on a Le Corbusier LC2 armchair. In the real world, it is a mainstay in office lounges and other professional environments.
This designer chair, designed for ease of conversation, was exhibited in 1929 at the Salon d’Automne in Paris as the archetype of the modern concept in furnishings, interpreted as “household equipment”. The separation between the metal structure and the cushions is consistent with rationalism’s principles.
Marshmallow Sofa
Above Marshmallow Love Seat #5670
Above ‘Spy x Family’ Volume 2 cover
Marshmallow Love Seat #5670
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In the series’ second volume, deautaroganist Anya Forger is seen relaxing on the Marshmallow sofa, also known as Marshmallow Love Seat #5670.
Designers George Nelson and Irving Harper achieved this sofa’s unique appearance and eye-catching appeal by joining separate elements and making them appear to float in the air. It led the way into the pop art style of the 1960s; its biggest appeal is that its 18 cushions can be easily swapped out for cleaning and customising.
La Chaise
Above La Chaise
Above ‘Spy x Family’ Volume 3 cover
La Chaise
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Yor Forger sits on the Eames Le Chaise in volume three of Spy x Family.
Designed in 1948, this lounge chair was originally made for the International Competition for Low—Cost Furniture Design, which was organised by the Museum of Modern Art and a group of American retailers and manufacturers. It is composed of two bonded fibreglass shells, a chromed base, and natural oak feet, and it allows for a wide range of sitting and reclining positions.
In 1996, Vitra International began manufacturing and distributing the La Chaise due to public interest and demand. Today, the chair serves as a long-established icon of organic design.
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Ball Chair
Above Ball Chair
Above ‘Spy x Family’ Volume 4 cover
Ball Chair
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It is no secret that dogs love to play ball. What better way to place family dog Bond in Eero Aarnio’s famous ball chair?
Designed in 1963, it is one of the most famous and beloved classics of Finnish design and was dubbed Aarnio’s international breakthrough. The chair is made from fibreglass, upholstered with high-quality fabrics or leather, and has twelve colour options.
Barcelona Chair
Above Barcelona Chair
Above ‘Spy x Family’ Volume 5 cover
Barcelona Chair
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Yor Forger’s brother Yuri graces the fifth cover of the series, sitting casually on Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich’s Barcelona Chair. It was designed for the German Pavilion, Germany’s exhibition for the Barcelona World Fair of 1929.
The designer chair was inspired by the campaign and folding chairs of ancient times and has become an icon of modernism. Despite its industrial appearance, it also requires much handcrafting.
Heart Cone Chair
Above Heart Cone Chair
Above ‘Spy x Family’ Volume 6 cover
Heart Cone Chair
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Loid Forger’s colleague (and secret admirer) Fiona Frost sits on Verner Panton’s Heart Cone Chair. Designed in the late 1950s, it takes its name from its seat shell’s expressive, heart-shaped silhouette.
Produced and distributed today by Swiss company Vitra, the Heart Cone Chair references the arrival of pop art and appears as a new interpretation of the classic Chesterfield chairs.
Willow Chair
Above Willow Chair
Above ‘Spy x Family’ Volume 7 cover
Willow Chair
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Damian Desmond—a major supporting character and Anya Forger’s classmate in the series—and his small size juxtapose with the large Willow Chair. Charles Rennie Mackintosh created it as part of the interior set of the Willow Tea Rooms in Glasgow, Scotland, which opened in 1903.
Used by the team room’s supervisor, the upholstered settee’s curved back forms the pattern of a willow tree, and the lattice is made from short horizontal insets between the vertical slats. It is constructed of ashwood with a curved back and has storage below the seat.
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Angela Nicole Regis Guiral is a digital editor at Tatler Philippines. She studied journalism and has since written features that look closely at how culture, lifestyle and social impact converge, while occasionally wandering into the worlds of style and travel.
