Lichen, co-founded by Ed Be and Jared Blake in Brooklyn, NY in 2017, is a design incubator and studio centered around furniture, spatial design, and the discovery of how Lichen interact with these elements –past and present.

With keen eyes on vintage furniture, Lichen reminded Karimoku Furniture of a sofa design that was forgotten in the past.

The idea of Re:issue comes from Lichen’s beginnings as vintage purveyors of home goods. While Lichen continues to create new designs, Lichen often think about how the past, present and future of the home come together to create a balance of style and comfort.

While touring Karimoku Furniture’s showroom which highlights their history of craftsmanship through decades, Lichen noticed the ZE sofa tucked between two main floors. Lichen knew instantly that they had to bring this design back. The techniques used on this sofa were incredibly 80s, yet also very contemporary at the same time - a perfect marriage between timelessness and versatility. It was originally designed for meeting rooms for companies, but Lichen has made subtle revisions to make it a necessity for the home.

Featuring clean lines and balanced proportions, it offers timeless comfort in both leather and upholstered options. The versatility of the ZE sofa collection allows it to work effortlessly in both home and office settings. - A quiet statement piece that reflects the enduring quality of vintage Japanese manufacturing paired with European elegance.

The differential feed stitching technique, which was commonly used in 1980s and used on ZE sofa collection, creates gathers along the seams. The reissue of the ZE sofa marks the revival of this method, which is highly technical, especially when working with leather.

Rediscovering Karimoku’s techniques through Lichen's perspective will be the collaboration’s true strength.