Among the exponentially expanding pantheon of active designers, there’s a select few for whom a new product release is a bonafide, hold-the-presses, must-see event. Zaha Hadid makes my short list, as does the refined classicsim of R.A.M. Stern.
Some might press for the inclusion of heavyweights Ron Arad and Ross Lovegrove, or perhaps the ubiquitous Karim Rashid.

Flower. Designed by Pierre Paulin for Magis.

But Frenchman Pierre Paulin—born in 1927, 81 years young as of this writing, active in the trade for 60 some odd years (and still working!), commissioned to design for both the Louvre and the Mobilier National in Paris, grand disciple of the work of Michael Thonet—definitely deserves a place on the uppermost pedestal. Possessed of “a certain self-consciousness and an elegant, whimsical style” (Idea Magazine), Paulin’s personality shows in his most-loved designs. 60’s icons like Mushroom, Mushroom Pouffe, Orange Slice, and Ribbon have a curvilinear whimsicality and colorful exuberance that exemplifies the best of the era. These pieces form the bedrock of a portfolio of established influence: visual artists from Dr. Seuss To Tim Burton have gleaned much from Paulin’s aesthetic, as have an array of Designers from Gehry to Massaud to the aforementioned Karim Rashid.

So a scant year after Paulin’s 80 yr. jubilee—memorialized by Artifort with the re-issue of many of Paulin’s designs, upholstered in Lenor Larsen’s psychedellic Momentum fabric—we’re lucky indeed to see the debut of Paulin’s new Flower Chair, coming in April to a Milan Design Week near you.

With a shape vaguely reminiscent of his contemporary Warren Platner’s Platner Collection Lounge Chair, Flower is yet distinctive for its enticing curvature. The piece is essentially an extruded plastic frame wrapped in the enticing contours of a translucently smoky fabric. The combination gives Flower a dual personality. Evocative of the high-necked cloak that an enigmatic seductress might don while negotiating the shadowy streets of misty Prague, Flower promises privacy yet conceals little. Its sheer and sexy silhouette makes it a worthy addition to its designer’s esteemed portfolio

via Designboom