Sublime

At the base of a mountain wall, where you spread out your gear to organize for a climb, it was easy to spot the tools made by Chouinard Equipment. Ours stood out because they had the cleanest lines. They were also the lightest, strongest, and most versatile tools in use. Where other designers would work to improve a tool’s performance by adding on,

I wanted to make things that changed people’s lives for the better. I was obsessed with finding ways to make my products ergonomic, functional, and eco-friendly.

Niko’s chair suggests an alternative model: local collaboration on the specific interpretation of a universal idea—chair—relying on low-tech materials that are available almost anywhere.