James Irvine (17 July 1958
London, England
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
– 18 February 2013
Milan, Italy
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
) was a British
industrial designer who created furniture and product designs for many well known companies and brands such as
Artemide,
B&B Italia,
Cappellini,
Foscarini,
Ikea
IKEA ( , ) is a Multinational corporation, multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in Sweden that designs and sells , household goods, and various related services.
IKEA is owned and operated by a series of not-for-profit an ...
,
Magis,
Muji
, or is a Japanese retailer which sells a wide variety of household and consumer goods. Muji's design philosophy is minimalist, and it places an emphasis on recycling, reducing production and packaging waste, and a no-logo or "no-brand" policy. ...
,
Thonet, and
WMF. He once described the product designer's job as “the work of an unknown hero.”
Early life and education
Irvine was the son of the architect and designer Alan Irvine
and his first wife, Betty.
He obtained his bachelor's degree in industrial design from the
Kingston Polytechnic (now University) alongside fellow designers
Jasper Morrison and
Michael Young. He subsequently earned a master's degree from the
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public university, public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City, London, White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design uni ...
, and then moved to Milan to work for
Olivetti
Olivetti S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of computers, tablets, smartphones, printers and other such business products as calculators and fax machines. Headquartered in Ivrea, in the Metropolitan City of Turin, the company has been owned b ...
in 1984. He also worked for one year at the
Toshiba Design Center in Tokyo.
Work and career
In 1988 Irvine opened a design studio in Milan, initially collaborating with Cappellini and SCP. He also worked with
Ettore Sottsass and became a partner at Sottsass Associati. In 1999 he designed the
Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaro bus for the city of
Hannover
Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
and proposed an accompanying design for the city's bus shelters in preparation for
Expo 2000.

He was a professor of industrial design at the
Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design.
In 2004 he was appointed
Royal Designer for Industry (RDI).
In 2006 his A 660 Bentwood chair for Thonet received the
iF Design Award
In 2007 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Design form
Kingston University
Kingston University London is a Public university, public research university located within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, in South London, South West London, England. Its roots go back to the Kingston Technical Institute, founded ...
.
In 2010 his S 123 H barstool for Thonet received the iF Design Award
In 2013 Irvine's "Juno" chair for Arper received both the Design Guild Mark Award and the iF Design Award.
Death and legacy
Irvine died of pneumonia in 2013 at the age of 54 and is buried at the
Maggiore cemetery in Milan. He is survived by his wife, designer Maria Laura Rossiello Irvine, and two sons
Giacomo and Giorgio.
In 2015
Phaidon Press
Phaidon Press is a global publisher of books on art, architecture, design, fashion, photography, and popular culture, as well as cookbooks, children's books, and travel books. The company is based in London and New York City, with additional of ...
published a monograph about his work and life with contributions from many of his collaborators and contemporaries including: designers
Michele De Lucchi,
George Sowden, , Thomas Sandell, Jasper Morrison,
Konstantin Grcic,
Naoto Fukasawa
Naoto Fukasawa (; born 1956) is a Japanese designer, author, and educator, working in the fields of Product design, product and furniture design. He is known for his product design work with the Japanese retail company Muji, as well as collaborat ...
,
Alberto Meda and
Marc Newson; design impresario
Giulio Cappellini; design critics
Deyan Sudjic and
Francesca Picchi. With the publication of the book, the
Triennale Design Museum hosted a tribute to Irvine titled "Stories about James" to celebrate the life and work of the designer.
His eponymous company "Studio James Irvine" continues under the guidance of his wife, the architect and
Art Director
Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games.
It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...
Marialaura Rossiello Irvine.
Collaborations with notable brands
Irvine worked with some of the most prestigious design-oriented companies, including:
*
Thonet: He designed several iconic pieces, including the S 123 barstool, merging modern materials with Thonet’s historic craftsmanship.
*
Muji
, or is a Japanese retailer which sells a wide variety of household and consumer goods. Muji's design philosophy is minimalist, and it places an emphasis on recycling, reducing production and packaging waste, and a no-logo or "no-brand" policy. ...
: Collaborated on minimalist yet functional products reflecting the brand’s
ethos
''Ethos'' is a Greek word meaning 'character' that is used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or ideology; and the balance between caution and passion. The Greeks also used this word to refer to the ...
.
*
Fritz Hansen: Created furniture pieces that balanced comfort with sleek, contemporary lines.
*
Artemide: Designed lighting solutions that embodied simplicity and practicality.
*
Olivetti
Olivetti S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of computers, tablets, smartphones, printers and other such business products as calculators and fax machines. Headquartered in Ivrea, in the Metropolitan City of Turin, the company has been owned b ...
: Worked on innovative office equipment designs.
*
Mercedes-Benz buses
Mercedes-Benz has been producing buses since 1895 in Mannheim in Germany. Since 1995 Mercedes-Benz buses and coaches are known by the brand name of Daimler Buses (formerly EvoBus GmbH), a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler Truck.
Heritage
The wo ...
: Focused on ergonomics and practicality while maintaining visual appeal.
Irvine also served as creative director for Thonet from 2007 until his passing, where he redefined the company’s design language while honoring its legacy of bentwood furniture.
See also
GlassLabat the
Corning Museum of Glass
The Corning Museum of Glass is a museum in Corning (city), New York, Corning, New York, United States, dedicated to the art, history, and science of glass. It was founded in 1951 by Corning Incorporated, Corning Glass Works and currently has a ...
Publications
*
*
References
External links
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Luminaire "A Tribute to James Irvine"Articles about James Irvine in dezeenJames Irvine: GlassLab Vitra Design Museum
The Vitra Design Museum is a privately owned museum for design in Weil am Rhein, Germany. The architect of this building was Frank O. Gehry. His architecture was based on the art movement of the early 20th century, deconstructivism. Making the bu ...
, short film (interview)
*
James Irvine: a self-portrait',
Domus magazine
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Irvine, James
1958 births
2013 deaths
Alumni of Kingston University
Alumni of the Royal College of Art
Academic staff of the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design
British furniture designers
British industrial designers
British emigrants to Italy
British glass artists
Olivetti people
Product designers
Royal Designers for Industry