A highlight of our Spring Design party was the lecture/slide show put together and presented by Helen Maria Nugent. A professor and designer, Helen Maria got the crowd thinking about what makes a classic and which contemporary designs may be considered a classic in the future.

Characteristics of a classic: Unique and of its time. Manufacturing differs from similar offerings. Easily identifiable and memorable. Innovative in its function, aesthetics, materials and technology. Inspires imitation and evokes the "got to have it" reaction.

Without further ado, Part One of Ms. Nugent's classics and her choices for their modern contenders...

We thought Helen Maria's presentation was fun and fascinating...her choices were thoughtful, the reasons why she choose them were enlightening and she pointed us in the direction of great work of designers both familiar and new.

Look for Part Two of the Classic Contenders post next week at this time, featuring hanging lamps, side chairs, side tables and sofas.

A huge thanks to Helen Maria for sharing her design expertise with all of us at the Spring Design Party!

(Re-edited from a post originally published 04.18.07)