As always seemed to happen with Vico, inspiration for Club was born during conversation. Talking with him about the feeling of comfort, he came up with the idea of a leather-clad handle that would be pleasant to touch.
Along the lines of industrial logic, he designed two tapered half-shells to which the leather was glued. This gave continuity to the form and allowed us to avoid the sewn seam, which would have trapped dirt and been susceptible to wear and tear.
— Eclissi lampada, Artemide 1967
I immediately found the proposal very interesting and innovative, so we developed it.
— Antonio Olivari
The design of a handle with a leather grip that would make it pleasing to the touch was the subject of many conversations with Vico Magistretti as we were developing his Club handle.
Magistretti made me understand the importance of a material that can be lived with for a long time while appreciating its natural aging process.
He gave the example of English shoes and other items that get better over time. The more you use them, the more beautiful they become, he would say.
As he spoke, I would think of the couch that welcomed me every evening. It was a model by Poltrona Frau that I had inherited from my mother. It was hers, and she passed it on to me.
Not only did it prove to be indestructible, but it seemed to improve with the years. So, when I needed to consider quality leather, I spontaneously thought of Poltrona Frau for its extraordinary experience with this sumptuous material. — Antonio Olivari