Sitting Pretty With A Seat Design

Success of Stefano Giovannoni's Bombo stool spawns unfortunate imitators worldwide

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but for original designers and manufacturers, imitation can be a problematic pain in the posterior. The surest sign that a product design has hit its mark - and found a market - is the inevitable wave of knockoff designs that soon follow.
Such is the case with Stefano Giovannoni's Bombo bar stool, which is fast becoming a common seating choice for many restaurateurs and bar owners around the city. Home use will no doubt increase as a result of this public exposure. The design itself is a masterful interplay between function and whimsy, which is typical of much of Giovannoni's work. The Milan designer is internationally acclaimed yet still flies below the radar that indicates design superstardom. One gets the feeling that suits him just fine.
A recent survey of Toronto retailers found at least two local shops selling knockoff Bombo type stools. One store is marketing the stool under the Bombo name although it is clearly a copy. Although certainly more affordable than the original design, manufactured by Magis of Italy, these imitation models are made of cheaper materials and are therefore less likely to be a purchase with many years of satisfactory service.
The Magis Bombo is currently twice the price but its construction of an ABS plastic seat with a steel frame and base at least ensures its durability. The Italian-made stool is height adjustable thanks to a gas piston and the foot rest is shaped like a hula hoop. The seat itself is an organic form which is at once nostalgic and futuristic. The finesse that Giovannoni brings to his work is of course difficult to copy, and in most cases not even attempted since imitators create variations (usually clumsy) that keep their product safe from copyright infringement.
The problem for local Magis retailers is the perception that they're trying to gouge customers. One store manager noted that she is sometimes on the defensive when it comes to selling the Bombo stool because customers have seen what they believe to be the same product elsewhere and challenge her on the higher price. If the original Bombo and a copy were placed side by side, however, it's doubtful that many would fail to see the quality differences. The inferior quality of plastic used in the imitation models, for example, would be readily apparent.
The Bombo design has been such a success internationally that Magis expanded Giovannoni's project, which now includes Bombo chairs and tables. If one can hold out and spend a little more for the original rather than buying a knockoff, the benefits should become apparent over time in terms of comfort and durability. And if more local consumers buy original designs, prices may eventually fall. In the meantime, however - as Toronto industrial designer Jonathan Crinion once said - sometimes it's better to sit on a cardboard box than purchase a poorly designed chair. The imitations can never truly measure up to the original.

Publication Date: 2003-08-24
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=3074