It's always exciting when stuff from the upper echelons of A&D finds its way into the mainstream cultural purview. There's nothing like the "aha!" moment of happening by a hotel courtyard outfitted with a team of lime green Myto Chairs, or accommodating oneself to the comfy confines of The Invisibles at a sidewalk bistro. Jeanne-Marie Massaud's Holy Day for Coalesse may be well on the way to such prominent presence.

Holy Day Lounge. Designed by Jeanne-Marie Massaud for Coalesse.

If you think I may be overstating the case, witness the new Neutrogena advertisement featuring the alabaster skin of actress Jennifer Garner draped along the ivory contours of the Holy Day Lounge in white leather. It's flattering enough that Neutrogena chose Massaud's piece to complement the comely Garner, but even higher praise that the ad's catch phrase-"heel on a deeper level"-might speak for the furniture as well.

An avowed disciple of the architectural philosophy of van der Rohe, Holy Day proudly wears its structure on its sleeve. This translates as the easy marriage of "chrome and leather or upholstery in a sleekly linear form." The lounge speaks simplicity for functionalities sake: an under structure of polished trivalent chrome with a slightly trapezoidal inclination gives the piece its relaxed profile while imparting a contemporary and spare aesthetic. The upper half shows its shape in contrasting saddle-stitched leather or upholstery (you choose the color of the leather and the thread from among Coalesse's recommended curated palette).

No matter the color, Massaud's Holy Day has an easiness about it that justifies Coalesse's claims for the piece. And while I started this post comparing Holy Day to contemporary work by compatriots like Grcic and Yoshioka, Massaud's Lounge passes muster in the company of the classics as well. At first glimpse, it reminds me of Pierre Paulin's iconic F 444, while a more thorough examination suggests the functional moxie of van der Rohe's even more iconic Barcelona Chair. Perhaps-and with the help of Neutrogena and Jennifer Garner-it won't be long until Massaud's Holy Day commands the same kind of recognition and appreciation.