Ligne Roset Togo by Raf Simons

Since its debut 50 years ago, Michel Ducaroy’s Togo chair for furniture manufacturer Ligne Roset has become a cult classic. With a low-slung profile and instantly recognizable silhouette described by Ducaroy as “a tube of toothpaste folded back on itself,” the seat now features in the homes of taste-making celebrities and designers alike. How, then, does one update such a contemporary icon?

For Belgian designer Raf Simons, the answer was simple: fabric. In honour of the chair’s half-centenary, the fashion heavy-weight (co-creative director of Prada) was the ideal candidate to refresh the statement piece for the 21st century. Produced by Kvadrat, the limited edition upholstery is a speckled bouclé taking cues from the array of brush strokes defining expressionist and pointillist paintings by the likes of Vincent van Gogh and Georges Seurat. Dubbed Atom and available in three colourways—bouleau, labradorite, and confettis—from rich rust to deep charcoal and muted cream, the fabric is made with contrasting yarns to create a textural wrap without a visible pattern repeat. Applied to only 878 of the armless chairs, this exclusive release is as covetable as the artwork and apparel that inspired it.