I’ve been engaged on these lounge chairs for nearly the final decade. I’ve been recycling supplies, upcycling supplies, into this lounge chair silhouette. For this story, I collected 1984 Olympics clothes and artifacts and every kind of various objects and souvenirs. I labored intently with Goodwill on serving to me supply a few of the supplies. I discovered a few of the supplies on EBay, had a pair issues in my assortment, and blended them collectively within the creation that you simply see.
The uniforms that had been made by Levi’s are actually attention-grabbing, as a result of I bear in mind the L.A. Summer season Olympics after I was 8 years outdated and seeing these uniforms. With the ability to supply a few these was a key factor of the chair. A Levi’s bag that was virtually like a go well with bag is on the again of the chair — that was an amazing discovery, and the man’s identify was nonetheless on it. There have been a few tote luggage that I hadn’t seen earlier than, a bunch of T-shirts, some sweatshirts. Then I purchased some pins that I used as detailing on the chairs, and these press credentials for pictures, that are on one facet of the chair.
Goodwill and I’ve been constructing a reasonably distinctive relationship over the past three or 4 years now. I’ve developed an amazing dialogue with their staff the place, relying on what undertaking I’m engaged on, I can ask them to assist me supply a pair issues. Generally I’ll go on ShopGoodwill simply to search for inspiration or totally different classic I’m looking for. They helped discover a few the important thing gadgets within the chair, together with that one Olympic expertise shirt that had the autographs of the athletes, which I assumed was fairly particular. There are just a few components on the chair that I had requested them to seek out, like there’s a emblem shirt that they helped me supply that was the primary graphic for the Olympics. Additionally they shocked me with a browsing shirt that simply says “California” that’s on the ottoman. I assumed that was a pleasant nod to browsing being within the Olympics — I used to be blown away by the browsing competitors on this final Olympics, in Teahupo’o, and the way superb it was. I’m undecided whether or not they’re going to do browsing right here in Los Angeles, however I assumed it was good to throw that in there, as a result of browsing wasn’t within the Olympics in 1984.
“I remember moving to Los Angeles from San Francisco in 1984. I was 8 years old … I remember the feeling of everybody coming together. It was a really incredible experience. That was my first time really collecting something. I became obsessed with the pins.”
— Darren Romanelli
I bear in mind transferring to Los Angeles from San Francisco in 1984. I used to be 8 years outdated. We drove down within the household Volvo, and Coca-Cola was the title sponsor of the Olympics. I simply bear in mind there was a number of Coca-Cola iconography all all through Los Angeles, and we had been fortunate sufficient to get to go to a bunch of the totally different competitions and occasions. I bear in mind the sensation of everyone coming collectively. It was a extremely unbelievable expertise. That was my first time actually gathering one thing. I turned obsessive about the pins. I had this massive USA hat with an extended brim, and I bear in mind making an attempt to cowl it within the pins. All of the souvenirs I received from that summer time — I held on to them for eternally. At the least just a few of the gadgets made it onto the chair — this one white Adidas hat that’s on the top-left nook and a diving shirt.
Proper round that age, I turned obsessive about just a few manufacturers and began gathering; whether or not it was buying and selling playing cards or sneakers or sure clothes gadgets, there was this curiosity and curiosity in organizing and gathering. I used to be obsessive about Jordan and Nike as a child, and I bear in mind thrifting on the weekends throughout my college years and coming again to L.A. with all this uncommon Nike gear. I used to be actually into vogue and had this concept to remodel classic or take aside one thing outdated and make it new. I had this concept of being a health care provider respiratory new life into older garments or issues I’d discover on the backside of a pile, resurrecting them. I had this idea of taking these older ghosts of a narrative and bringing them again to life. Initially, it began with transforming classic Nike gadgets into these jackets that I revisited over the course of the last decade.
I form of retired from doing jackets and segued into doing furnishings, primarily chairs. But it surely’s nonetheless the identical strategy with transforming the classic gadgets, having a sustainable mind-set, as a result of there’s a number of waste on the market. I’ve at all times thought of all of the stuff that’s produced within the vogue trade, it’s form of overwhelming. My observe as an entire is de facto centered on sustainable creations which might be visually attention-grabbing, since you acknowledge this older garment, however the way in which it’s been reworked, it feels extra present. I really like the thought of blending generations and mixing eras. I’m impressed by the method, as a result of I get so much out of it. It’s virtually meditative for me, discovering the supplies after which residing with them, transforming them.
I hit a degree with my jackets the place I had form of peaked, and I wasn’t as serious about exploring them. Perhaps it was a second the place I used to be extra serious about sitting down, and I used to be serious about staging environments a bit extra. I really like residing with artwork, and whether or not it’s my front room or my outside space, or no matter workplace house I’m engaged on, I’m at all times reconfiguring the format, as a result of the fitting setting creates the fitting ambiance for dialog. I needed to have the proper chair that I couldn’t solely transfer round simply however one thing that was possibly extra snug. The lounge silhouette is tremendous snug, and over time it molds to you. I form of perfected the filling over time, and I don’t wish to say it’s the proper chair — as a result of some folks may say it’s too low or it’s too loud, or it ages — however I really like sitting in them as a result of the fabric, the historical past of the supplies, feels not solely snug to me nevertheless it’s this concept of being engaged with what I’m sitting in primarily based off the temper I’m in. And I’ll transfer them round — they’re throughout my dwelling and my work setting.
The thread line of my work is the historical past of iconography. I really like manufacturers, and I really like the thought of remodeling the iconography in a means the place it has a brand new that means, or it might exist in a brand new gentle. This chair particularly, in anticipation of 2028, made a number of sense for me. I grew up in L.A. I really like my metropolis, and to have the ability to create this tribute piece to that second in anticipation of what’s coming was actually significant.
—As advised to Elisa Wouk Almino
Darren Romanelli, born 1976, who additionally goes by the monikers of Dr. Romanelli or DRx, has greater than 20 years of expertise in curation and inventive course. Impressed by his dedication to sustainability and upcycling, Romanelli’s quite a few collaborations with Converse, Levis, Coca-Cola and Disney have straddled the design, music, artwork, meals and vogue disciplines.
