Crochet Chair by Marcel Wanders

Marcel Wanders
Crochet Chair, 1997

Wanders hand‑crocheted cotton yarn into intricate flower-based motifs, then dipped the assembled crochet in epoxy resin, placing it over a chair mould. Once dried, the mould was removed, revealing a self-supporting, hollow seating shell that’s both sculptural and functional.

The design blurs the line between handcrafted textile and functional furniture, creating a “ghost chair” effect. The open, lace-like structure evokes fragility, yet the resin provides rigidity, perfectly balancing delicacy with strength.

Marcel Wanders started this innovative approach in Droog’s Dry Tech project (1996/1997), which resulted in the famous Knotted chair. The white Crochet chair stands out for its decorative transparency, bringing this project to perfection.

The Crochet Chair could be seen as a bridge between craft heritage and cutting-edge resin tech — an exemplar of material innovation. The design has been a part of the Smart Deco project and exhibition, held in 2006 and 2007. Smart Deco explored a new form of decoration shaped by technology, craftsmanship, and imagination. Through a collection of experimental objects, it combined digital production, organic forms, and interactive concepts to create designs that emphasised emotion, atmosphere, and storytelling alongside function.