Gallery: 12 Design Classics That You'll Love for a Lifetime
01grandprix
__Grand Prix Chair__ Arne Jacobsen was already a star designer when he created the Grand Prix in 1957, but this chair's sharp angles were a departure for him. Its refinement runs deeper than good looks—each piece of pressure-molded veneer is layered in a crisscross pattern for maximum strength. Flip it over and stomp on its back: It won't break. [__FRITZ HANSEN | $840__](http://www.fritzhansen.com/en/grand-prix-3130-chair-laminated)
02airMax
__Air Max 90__ In 1987 the Air Max 1 was a marvel of technology: You could not only feel the air cushion, you could see it. The design, by Nike legend Tinker Hatfield, hit its high point with the Air Max 90, a shoe so versatile that it has seen innumerable variations, ranging from heat-welded seams to wild kaleidoscope prints. [__NIKE | $150__](http://amzn.com/B00JF6KERO)
03zigzag
__Loft Zig-Zag Floor Lamp__ Jean-Louis Domecq designed the funky-looking Zig-Zag in 1950, after looking in vain for a work lamp that could adapt to almost any situation. His solution? Build a multijointed stem that could bend, twist, and stretch without knotting up the wires. [__JIELDÉ | $1,295__](http://amzn.com/B0032IXZ0O)
04clock
__Optic Alarm Clock__ Joe Colombo is famous for objects that are timeless and fun but not silly like so many other 1970s designs. The simple-looking Optic, created in 1970, belies some clever details: The cowl surrounding the face prevents glare, and the clock itself can be tilted back to rest at a steeper angle. [__ALESSI | $84__](http://amzn.com/B0046WL6J2)
05sunglasses
__714 Sunglasses__ Steve McQueen made the 714s cool when he wore them in 1968's *The Thomas Crown Affair*, but they'd be impressive even if he hadn't. They remain both classic and modern and look good on just about everyone. Plus, they fold up to half their size, meaning they're far easier to stow without crushing them. [__PERSOL | $380__]( http://amzn.com/B005G07GKG)
Terence Mahone06legdesk
__Nelson Swag Leg Desk__ The thin, curvy legs of this George Nelson masterpiece are the result of swagging, a complex process of tapering and bending. And the uncomplicated joinery was a genius detail that presaged Ikea: Designed to be assembled by consumers, it radically simplified production. [__HERMAN MILLER | $2,149__](http://amzn.com/B000Z7C588)
07loungeChair
__FK 87 Grasshopper Lounge__ Preben Fabricius and Jørgen Kastholm designed the insectlike Grasshopper Lounge only after an exhaustive investigation into the proportions of the human body. It's still produced in the same factory as it was in the 1960s, with the same tools. [__LANGE | $10,200__](http://www.suiteny.com/product/detail/64/2/19)
08shelves
__606 Universal Shelving System__ Dieter Rams' 606 system is perhaps the most flexible set of shelves ever designed. You start by installing a simple metal track, and from there it's endlessly configurable: Add more shelves or swap out a desk for cabinets. Once the bones are there, no tools are needed. [__VITSOE | STARTS AT $752__](https://www.vitsoe.com/us/606)
09watch
__Sistem51__ The original Swatch was a marvel of egalitarian design: tough, good-looking, inexpensive. The Sistem51, the company's first self-winding timepiece, is true to that heritage in more ways than one. In addition to looking like an old-school Swatch, its movement has 51 pieces, just like that first quartz model. [__SWATCH | $150__](http://www.swatch.com/en_us/sistem51)
10rockChair
__Eames Molded Fiberglass Chair__ Originally designed in 1950, the Eames chair was first fabricated in colored fiberglass that gave the shell a warm, well-worn look. But fiberglass was found to be harmful to the environment, and in 1989 it was discontinued in favor of newer plastics. Today glass is back, thanks to a new sustainably made material. [__HERMAN MILLER | $499–868__](http://amzn.com/B00ND9F2K8)
MoMA Store11rayman
__Man Ray Chess Set__ The famed surrealist photographer Man Ray designed this set for his friend Marcel Duchamp. (The forefather of conceptual art was also a chess fiend.) Each of the hand-carved pieces carries an echo of the classic shapes in a chess set, from pawn to king. __[MAN RAY | $380](http://amzn.com/B00AZNTHKG)__
12snoopy
__Snoopy__ Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni designed this compact table lamp in 1967 with a wink: It's businessy enough for a banker, with a luscious Carrera marble base and a shiny black metal bell. But squint and it looks like the mischievous cartoon beagle we all love. __[FLOS | $995](http://amzn.com/B004UGJD08)__
