Highlights

• New Striad Lounge is first design by Jehs+Laub for Herman Miller
• Striad Lounge was inspired by a ski boot, with a hard shell and soft inner layer
• New addition to the Herman Miller Collection updates profile of lounge seating

Comfort is the primary criteria behind the Striad Lounge Chair and Ottoman, the first contribution to the Herman Miller Collection by designers Markus Jehs and Jürgen Laub of Stuttgart-based Jehs+Laub. Inspired by the construction of a ski boot, Jehs+Laub designed Striad in layers, with each playing a distinct part in the overall experience of comfort. The outermost layer, a rigid shell that provides stability, is merged with a fully upholstered inner shell constructed of a natural fiber composite material. Individually upholstered dual-density foam cushions form the third layer, resulting in an optimal combination of firm support and supple, pliable comfort.

As German designers steeped in the Bauhaus tradition, the design vocabulary of Jehs+Laub—whimsical and sculptural—is about staying true to the form, materials, and function of the object. The alignment between this design philosophy and Herman Miller’s own design DNA made for a natural partnership. “If you look at the Eames Soft Pad Group, the way the chairs are both handcrafted and industrial, this is very much Herman Miller,” Jehs says. “So what is already in the DNA of Herman Miller—starting in a very industrial way and then getting more human, more emotional in the expression of a design—that is something we very much want our furniture to achieve.” Fittingly, Striad joins the Eames Soft Pad Group as part of the Herman Miller Collection.

With a distinctive structural presence, the Striad Lounge Chair contemporizes the form of a classic lounge while addressing the evolving nature of work and leisure. Striad’s low- and mid-back versions work well for casual collaboration in an open, social space. The high-back chair offers a measure of visual privacy, creating a sense of cocooning for reading, working, or resting, especially when combined with the Striad Ottoman. All three chair models are built in a singular typology, using a common outer shell with variably proportioned backs.

Striad is available with either a four-star auto-return swivel base or a fixed four-leg wire base, each available in three finishes. The outer shell is offered in three finishes. With the additional option of uniform or contrasting upholstery for the cushions, Striad allows for a great range of functional and aesthetic choices, bringing layered comfort to a multitude of spaces, from an executive lounge to a casual conference area, or from living room to lobby.

Premiering in North America at NeoCon in Chicago, Striad Lounge will be available for order to the trade in Fall 2016.

About Jehs+Laub
Markus Jehs and Jürgen Laub both studied industrial design at the Schwabisch Gmund University in Germany. A friendship began during an internship in New York in 1990. Four years later they co-founded their design studio, Jehs+Laub, in Stuttgart. In the years since, they’ve designed furniture, tableware, lighting, and interiors for a range of companies, including Design Within Reach, Danskina, and Mercedes-Benz, among others. Seeking partners that share common design values has always been important to the duo, as has their desire to learn from other cultures. They’ve sought consciously to work with clients from around the world who complement their perspective. “We realized that our German design sensibilities are very useful, but we are shaped by our experiences of other cultures like Italian or American,” Jürgen says. “We always want to learn more. We are curious. In knowing others, we develop ourselves.”

About The Herman Miller Collection
In 1948, George Nelson created the first Herman Miller Collection, with the goal of "a permanent collection designed to meet fully the requirements for modern living.” He understood that the Collection would evolve as human behavior changed and new materials and manufacturing technologies emerged. Today’s modern living embraces the blending of life and work, with greater appreciation for contemporary design and mobile and ubiquitous technologies offering new freedom of choice in where and how people express their lifestyles and pursue their professions. The Herman Miller Collection welcomes and enriches this new era, as Herman Miller endeavors to realize Nelson’s vision for the modern home, office, and public spaces.

About Herman Miller, Inc.
Herman Miller is a globally recognized provider of furnishings and related technologies and services. Headquartered in West Michigan, the global company has relied on innovative design for over 100 years to solve problems for people wherever they work, live, learn, and heal. Herman Miller’s designs are part of museum collections worldwide, and the company is a past recipient of the Smithsonian Institution's Cooper Hewitt National Design Award. Known and respected for its leadership in corporate social responsibility, Herman Miller has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for the past 12 years, and has earned the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s top rating in its Corporate Equality Index for the past eight years. In fiscal 2015, the company generated $2.14 billion in revenue and employed over 7,000 people worldwide. Herman Miller trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol MLHR.