When I first came across the new Achilles Chair by MDF Italia, I felt sure I'd seen it's ilk before. But a quick search of "Achilles" on 3rings turns up precisely two hits: Grow House Grow's narrative-inspired wallpaper and Duffy London's Shadow Chair. In both cases, the name of the great Greek hero is evoked for literary comparison and product clarification. But the chosen name for the latest by Jean Marie Massaud marks the first instance I know of a piece being named after the champion of the Aegeans. If you're more than a few years' out from your college mythology, Achilles' near-invincibility derives from a birth ritual performed by his mother, the goddess Thetis, who aspired to make him immortal by dipping him in the river Styx-only she held him by the heel, thus leaving him vulnerable at this one spot (hence the phrase "Achilles Heel").

Achilles Collection. Designed by Jean Marie Massaud for MDF Italia.

I'm not sure exactly whence the comparison arises between the famed warrior and Massaud's new chair, but I'd conjecture it has something to do with the piece's long-legged profile, its beefy tubular metal sub-structure, its removable/washable cover, its soon-to-be notorious versatility. Massaud's Achilles comes in two versions: a standard chair with a slightly convex back, and a full armchair with a full 270 degrees for support at back and sides.

As is characteristic of Massaud (see Aspen Sofa), Achilles is alluringly sculptural. Both versions nicely balance the slimming and structural aspects of the most functional of chairs. And-very reminiscent of the historical Achilles' penchant for mood swings- Massaud's new piece comes in multiple guises. Manufacturer MDF Italia offers Achilles in no less than 14 different colors, from the darkest night of pitch black to the sunniest swan song of lemon yellow.

Via Muuuz.