History

Airborne is one of the most famous and influential design companies of the modern era.

Launched in 1951 by Charles Bernard (1904-1994), Airborne’s first product was the AA Chair, designed in 1938 by the Spanish-Argentinian collective Grupo Austral, comprising Juan Kurchan, Jorge Ferrari-Hardoy and Antonio Bonet. Knoll produced Grupo Austral’s Butterfly Chair in the 1940s. After the war, André Bloc, a friend of Charles Bernard, informs him that Knoll no longer has the rights to produce these designs. Charles Bernard acquired the rights and renamed the new Airborne headquarters with the initials of André Bloc’s magazine L’architecture d’aujourd’hui. The AA Chair is a best-seller, the profits from which have enabled Airborne not only to collaborate with leading French designers, but also to compete with major French manufacturers.

Not content with reproducing patented designs, Charles Bernard also wanted to create original pieces in collaboration with the talents of the time. Airborne’s first collaboration was with French designer Pierre Guariche, leading to the Prefacto collection (1951-1953), a suite of tubular steel and wood furniture. Pierre Guariche also designed a famous collection of armchairs and sofas for Airborne. Artists who collaborated with Airborne in the mid-20th century include René-Jean Caillette, Jacqueline Lecoq, Joseph-André Motte and Antoine Philippon.
It was Airborne who was at the origin of perfecting the technique of covering injected rubber foam with a synthetic jersey fabric. It is thanks to provocative advertisements that Airborne becomes known around the world. Produced by Hautefille, the “Tout est là” ad shocked the whole world because we can see 50 round buttocks, a metaphor for the foldability and comfort of Airborne seats.