Gorgeous products from iconic designers at Fab — our first sponsored post!

Heck to the yeah, I’m very excited to be able to feature my first-ever sponsored post here on the blog. I am super duper picky about doing such things, and on two previous occasions, when approached by companies wanting to pay me to promote their product with a stand-alone story, I ended up saying “no”, it was not a good fit. But when Fab approached me and we talked, I ended up saying ‘yes’ — because I like this company. Thank you, Fab!!!
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Fab is a “marketplace for everyday design” all about: modern, colorful, quirky design. That means the retro, in many cases, and you know I love the colorful and quirky. For this story Fab asked me to go window shopping and spotlight up to 10 products that I thought would appeal to readers of Retro Renovation. Since I usually love the original real deal designers the very best, that’s who I decided to focus on: Gorgeous products properly licensed from nine iconic designers available via Fab, plus a little something silly thrown in for good measure. Click on through for more about the lovely designs currently available on Fab from Zeisel, Nelson, Panton, Girard and more of our best buds from the past –>

1. Vitra always has wonderful licensed products to ogle and collect — like this Alexander Girard Mother and Child tray. A great gift? Yes, I think so!
2. The Panton Chair, be still my heart. Like the other chairs I am spotlighting today, this chair is a technology story — and a drop dead gorgeous one at that: “Due to advances is plastic technology, Vernor Panton’s legendary Panton Chair has endured oodles of production phases since it was first introduced in the ’60s. The most recent version, produced in 1999, is made of injection-molded plastic, making the seat recyclable and more affordable—a fundamental objective of Panton’s initial design.”
3. I love coffee, yes, I do, so of course I love a retro vintage coffee maker like this one from the always chic Alessi. Coffee story: “Inspired by Futurism and Art Deco, the Moka Alessi is designer Alessandro Mendini’s tribute to his maternal grandfather Alfonso Bialetti, who was the inventor and first manufacturer of the espresso maker’s predecessor in the 1930s.”
4. I always watch for Eva Zeisel on Fab.
5. If you love Philippe Starcke’s Ghost Chair (I do), but want a less expensive style, how about Mario Bellini’s transparent Arco Chair, now half price at $125. Bellini’s cred, per Fab:  “Since the 1960s, Mario Bellini has been celebrated for his distinctive contributions to architecture, master planning, interiors, furnishings, and industrial design. He once said that designing a chair is ‘infinitely more complex than designing a skyscraper.’”
6. Who doesn’t covet George Nelson clocks and bubble lamps. You can find authentic licensed reproductions on Fab. Today, I’m digging this Elihu The Elephant Clock, which “typifies the joie de vivre of the mid-century era.”
7. I decided to spotlight Philippe Starcke’s Mr. Impossible Chair to make the point that it’s usually technology that is the catalyst for amazing new designs. Indeed, the reason for the drama in this chair’s design, in particular, is laser welding. Fab explains: “Philippe Starck and Eugeni Quilet’s aptly named Mr Impossible Chair is a feat of organic elegance and technological innovation. Wanting to fuse the two polycarbonate shells without using adhesive, the designers turned to laser-welding which gives the sleek seat a distinctive three-dimensional look. With its transparent legs and circular hollow core, the snug and comfy chair seems to hover above the ground.” In addition, I think that even getting that plastic so clear and strong was how we ended up with the Ghost Chair series to begin with.
8. I love great design of all eras, and this 1985 tea kettle by Michael Graves is already a recognized classic: “This Michael Graves Kettle was first introduced by Alessi in 1985; since then, it’s developed an impressive list of appearances in Hollywood films. Its film credits are a fitting honor: Graves worked tirelessly to develop a product that would symbolize the meeting of great design and mass production, while imbuing it with Art Deco and Pop Art influences. The bird-shaped whistle at its tip sings when the water boils—a happy surprise from a classic design.”
9. Yes, it’s hot outside. Keep the dogs cool with Brazilian footwear with 1960s roots: “Here’s a flop you’ll flip for. Brazilian brand Havaianas has been outfitting beachy feet since 1962.“
10. Hot indeed. Will this summer heat never let up? Until it does, I’m all for dropping a few Chill Pills into my TGIF G&T.

Thanks again to Fab for the opportunity to spotlight some of their products, which helps support the blog. If you like what you see, sign up for a free Fab account to browse their ever-changing inventory of newest design sales.