Kite chairs were conceived in 1994 for Italian furniture manufacturer Arflex in response to their request for a line of furniture that utilizes a unique material or manufacturing technique. The design was inspired by Ittan-momen, an imaginary Japanese monster that looks like a strip of white cotton cloth and floats in the air.
The smooth ergonomic curve reminiscent of the monster is realized via application of race car seat fabrication technology that utilizes fiber-reinforced plastics and complex laminated fabrics. The Kite did not go into production due to high cost but marked Shunji Yamanaka’s memorable introduction into the world of furniture design.