Herman Miller & Vitra

Herman Miller and Vitra are two independent companies with a common interest in the designs and legacies of Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, and Alexander Girard.

In 1956, Vitra became Herman Miller’s licensee for continental Europe. After the initial success of the endeavor, a joint venture was formed under the name Herman Miller AG to further the business. The cooperation was accompanied by a warm personal relationship between the De Pree family of Herman Miller and the Fehlbaum family of Vitra.

For over two decades the companies successfully collaborated to establish a market for good design, and further the designs of Eames, Nelson, and Girard in Europe. When the partnership was dissolved in 1984, the rights to the designs of Eames, Nelson, and Girard were assigned to Vitra for Europe and the Middle East, while the Herman Miller name and program were retained by Herman Miller.
The two companies continue to have a friendly relationship and together with the descendants of Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson and Alexander Girard keep the spirit of these great designers alive.
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