Vitra traces its history back to 1934, when Willi Fehlbaum took over a shopfitter company in Basel, Switzerland. It found success quickly and in 1950 the Fehlbaums established the Vitra company in Weil Am Rhein, Germany. During the 1950s Vitra also began its close partnership with Charles and Ray Eames, names not only familiar to design students but also to discerning homeowners around the world. Thus began Vitra’s long and storied history with some of the most prolific modern designers, including Verner Panton, Zaha Hadid, Philippe Starck, Antonio Citterio, Jasper Morrison, the Bouroullec brothers, and many more.
In 1989 Vitra opened its Design Museum (designed by Frank Ghery), a cultural institution and a leading design museum worldwide. With the launch of the Vitra Home Collection in 2004, design enthusiasts could now enjoy Vitra’s classic and contemporary furniture, lighting, and accessories for their private interiors. The lighting collections you’ll find here were all designed by Jean Prouvé (b. 1924)
