The elegant lounge chair La Chaise was designed for a competition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1948. It was inspired by the 'Floating Figure' sculpture by Gaston Lachaise. The lounge chair has long since established itself as an icon of organic design.

La Chaise was designed by Charles and Ray Eames. Charles and Ray Eames were both trained in the arts, with Ray having studied painting under Hans Hoffman and Charles studying architecture at Washington University in St. Louis. Their joint collaborations began at Cranbook Academy of Art, soon leading to experimental work in molded plywood products. After they married in 1941, they moved to Los Angeles and worked closely with Evans Products Company to produce a leg splint design for the war effort. Their new funding allowed them to explore furniture design, resulting in their molded plywood furniture for Herman Miller in the mid 1940s. Countless innovations followed including modular shelving, fiberglass furniture, and cast aluminum chairs, all of which are icons today. Their genius extended to film (such as Powers of Ten), graphic design, and exhibition design as well, often working with IBM.