Naoto Fukasawa x Emeco

One of the world's greatest designers collaborated with nonpareil maker of aluminum chairs et al Emeco to create these new stools.

YouTube description: 

The Za Collection by Naoto Fukasawa for Emeco is a joyful union between design and craftsmanship.

The family of stools are handcrafted in the Emeco factory in Hanover, Pennsylvania, following a unique 77-step process involving hands, eyes, and hearts.

Wrote Rain Noe on Core77:

Emeco's Gorgeous Aluminum Za Stools, Designed by Naoto Fukasawa

Handmade in Pennsylvania, these will last forever

Made from recycled aluminum (which can itself be recycled), these stools come in three heights.

Finishes include hand-brushed and clear anodized, powder-coated in a choice of six colors, and a stunning (and stunningly expensive) hand-polished version that is also clear-anodized.

Aside from finishes, you can opt to add seat pads made from Merino wool felt ($130) or vegetable-tanned leather ($235).

The seats for all three sizes have the same 17.875" (45cm) diameter.

The short stool provides a seating height of 18.75" (48cm), while the counter-height stool is 25" (64cm) and the bar height is 30" (76cm).

Whether hand-brushed or powder-coated with a color, the prices are the same: $590 for the short stool, while the counter- and bar-height models aren't much more at $640.

However, the hand-polished models (below) — the company says the process is done three times and takes eight hours — nearly doubles the price regardless of model.

American labor ain't cheap!

From $590.