Intrigued by the puzzle of how to create a chair that provides both comfort and ventilation, Aristeu Pires experimented with many types of ropes and fibers before finding the right solution for his Gisele Lounge Chair (2003). Synthetic robes didn't have the elasticity he needed, and other fibers failed to return to their original shape. Natural cotton rope, however, had it all. Wrapped around the chair's solid wood frame, the cotton rope creates a comfortable, well-ventilated seat and back. Pires built another specific feature into this chair. When determining the height of the arms, he sat in the chair holding a newspaper in front of him. When the newspaper was at just the right height for reading, Pires measured where his elbows were and used that information to create the shape of the frame. "It is also an easy chair for people to sit in and get up from," says Pires. "Even older people." The Gisele is 100% handcrafted at the designer's small factory in Brazil and uses solid Brazilian hardwood harvested from sustainable resources. A water base finish completes this eco-friendly design. As to be expected with any natural material, the wood color will vary slightly from one chair to the next. Pires was inspired by the work of Hans Wegner and Poul Kj;rholm when creating this chair. Adding this European heritage to the designer's own tropical uniqueness is a combination Pires also sees in supermodel Gisele Bundchen, which is where the chair gets its name.

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