Dezeen Magazine

Fionda chair by Jasper Morrison for Mattiazzi

Milan 2013: British designer Jasper Morrison will present a chair inspired by camping furniture for Italian brand Mattiazzi in Milan next week.

Fionda chair by Jasper Morrison for Mattiazzi

Called Fionda, which means "sling" in Italian, the chair by Jasper Morrison is composed of a folding wooden frame and a loose canvas seat that hooks over the corners and can be removed to enable the chairs to be stacked horizontally.

Fionda chair by Jasper Morrison for Mattiazzi

The chair will be available as a dining chair or a lounge chair and there will also be a matching stackable table.

Fionda chair by Jasper Morrison for Mattiazzi

It will be exhibited by Mattiazzi at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan from 9 to 14 April.

Fionda chair by Jasper Morrison for Mattiazzi

Other chairs launching at Milan next week include the Scoop chair by Danish designers KiBiSi and these armchairs with wavy backs and seats by Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola.

Fionda chair by Jasper Morrison for Mattiazzi

See all our previews of design at Milan 2013 or see all our stories about work by Jasper Morrison.

Here's some more information from Jasper Morrison:


Fionda’s mother is a folding camping chair, which itself comes from a long line of chairs known variously as BKF, Hardoy, Butterfly or Tripolina in Italy, all of which suspend a canvas sling from a frame to create a surprisingly comfortable seat. I bought one of the camping chairs in Japan and liked having it in my living room, but the aluminium X bars at the front and back were uncomfortable and prevented it being a real living room chair, so I decided to make a project out of removing the X’s.

I am attracted to the language of camping and campaign furniture. It’s something about the lightness of structure and required efficiency in achieving something comfortable which fits well in today’s mood. The frame needed a number of steps to perfect the joint but the result is light and strong, and can be stacked horizontally with the covers off.

There are two chair models, a dining chair and a lounge chair, and a table which is also stackable. It’s a chair for using inside or taking outside, for interiors which don’t need so much upholstery, and for the traveller who just got home and needs a rest!