It’s also the name of an iconic piece by Irish Modernist designer Eileen Gray.

Bibendum Armchair, which originally drove onto the scene in 1926, was Gray’s response to the ultra-masculine Grand Confort by Le Corbusier. Her version offers commodious comfort without taking over the entire room.

For the sake of clarity, let’s return to the chair’s name for a moment. Tire company Michelin used the Michelin Man in their ads starting in 1898, alongside the Latin motto “Nunc est Bibendum” (meaning Now it is time to drink). The Bibendum Armchair took its name from the man made of a tier of tires.

If black leather and chrome seems masculine, don’t attribute that to Eileen Gray. Her lounge chair tempers the materials through its sinuous shape, while remaining forceful stylistically. Bibendum’s trio of upholstered rings tapers from top to bottom, attaining the perfect circumference at the seat.

Bibendum Chair is very much a seat of power—without dominating the room. You might even say it’s diplomatic.

While well-recognized in leather, Gray’s lounge chair looks equally good when upholstered in other textiles. In velvet, Bibendum cocoons the user in sensual softness—like a velutinous embrace.

Eileen Gray attended art school, where she mastered lacquer technique, eventually opening her own lacquer studio in Paris with Japanese artist Seizo Sugawara. Although she wasn’t formally trained as an architect, she studied drafting and practiced architecture. Among other buildings, she designed E-1027, a home near Monaco created for Romanian architect Jean Badovici, who was her romantic partner for some time.

Besides Bibendum Armchair, Gray’s oeuvre includes a streamlined Day Bed, lacquered Brick Screen, and the inimitable Adjustable Table E1027—all icons in their own right.

Get more information at ClassiCon. Our coverage honoring Women’s History Month also includes a profile of Indian artist Arpita Singh.