Charles and Ray Eames are enshrined among the 20th century’s most influential creative visionaries whose contributions to design need no introduction. The husband-and-wife duo pioneered the Kazam! Machine, an apparatus used to steam bend and mold their plywood furniture, and which can also shape skateboards. This caught the attention of skateboard maker Globe, which joined forces with Eames Office to create decks that showcase three Eames signatures: Hang-It-All, Molded Plywood Sculpture, and Solar Do-Nothing Machine. Outlines of each are subtracted from matte white ink to reveal the boards’ walnut and rosewood veneer, lending textural intrigue befitting placement on a wall.
Eames and Globe may seem like strange bedfellows, but the two share far more common ground than plywood molding. Globe’s sustainable outlook includes working with the National Forest Foundation to plant more than three times the amount of trees harvested to source their wood. It’s also a family business that doesn’t fool around when it comes to “serious play.” Byron Atwood, CEO of the Eames Office and the couple’s grandson, is bullish on brand partnerships. He recently teamed with Reebok and Gelato Pique on collections that bring his grandparents’ wisdom to an entirely new generation. Case in point: “Toys are not really as innocent as they look,” Charles famously observed. “Toys and games are preludes to serious ideas.”
