Chew on This!

In 1976, when Herman Miller released the Modular Sofa Group, designed by Ray Wilkes, its internal marketing materials described the components as “attractive, comfortable seating solutions for lounge environments.” Talk about an understatement. With this offering, which was soon colloquially referred to as the “Chiclet sofa” for its resemblance to the popular chewing gum, Wilkes created iconic modern seating that melded cutting-edge technology with killer good looks: The coldcured polyurethane injection foam cushions—a new process at the time—ensured a seamless, rounded appearance that didn’t pucker or dent but was still loungefriendly. After discontinuing the Chiclet in 1986, Herman Miller is now reissuing Wilkes’s design, in part as a response to the seating’s popularity on the vintage market. The latest version comes in a rainbow suite of Flamiber bouclé and Maharam wool fabrics that nod to the present— and will undoubtedly carry it well into the future.