Daphne

Designed by Gastone Rinaldi between 1978 and 1979 for his company Thema, the Dafne chair is one of the most iconic and successful products of his design maturity. The model received a prestigious honorable mention at the Compasso d’Oro Award in 1981, cementing Rinaldi's research into the perfection of folding mechanisms and the rationalization of domestic spaces.

Technical and Formal Profile

Dafne is a folding chair with slender, sinuous, and graceful lines, summarizing the postmodern aesthetic language of the late 1970s. The structure is made of oven-lacquered flat tubular metal, while the seat is in lacquered beech wood.

Innovation and Functionality

The distinct element of the project is the exceptional capacity for volumetric synthesis: once folded, the chairs are "thin as leaves", making them ideal for the needs of modern living. This functional efficiency made it possible to store up to sixteen pieces in a special hook structure occupying an area of just one square meter. With a height of 80 cm and a width of approximately 40 cm, Dafne guarantees surprising ergonomic comfort for a seat of such essentiality.

Success and Variants

The model achieved such commercial success that it was subject to repeated plagiarism internationally. In addition to the classic black and white finishes, the chair is famous for its variants in bright colors like red and yellow, which emphasize its lively and decorative character. Today, Dafne is considered a fundamental piece in Rinaldi's career, testifying to a method that blends mechanical innovation with harmonious elegance.