Except for a few years spent “wandering in the desert” immediately after college, this is the only industry I’ve been in, so maybe I’m wrong. But I’ve often thought the workplace design and furnishings industry is unique in the length, depth and breadth of the friendships formed among colleagues at the companies and design firms that comprise it. As people move around the industry those friendship bonds provide the matrix that makes our industry a great place to enjoy a career.
I worked at Knoll from 1972 through 1985. That’s only 13 years spent at a company with the last year having been 35 years ago. And yet when I got the invitation announcing a Knoll reunion I couldn’t imagine not going.
This has been a sad year for us old Knollies. Our dear friend and colleague Brian Lutz passed away in January, and then in March Jeffery Osborne joined him. Both of them had enjoyed an exceptionally wide circle of influence and friendship within the ranks and as a consequence their funerals became virtual Knoll reunions with XKE’s (Ex-Knoll Employees) traveling from all over the country to attend. And on those sad occasions, talk of some sort of non-sad-occasion get together started to percolate.
But talk leads nowhere until someone decides to actually do something about it, and in the case of the recent Knoll Reunion that somebody was not an XKE at all, but rather current employees Janet Bennett and Stella Boyiantzis. They decided to take on the project and with others started drawing up a list of people to invite. I’m told they got to 30 names very quickly, and then as they started to share the idea with others the list just kept growing. I’m not sure how many ended up being invited, but in the end 73 former and current Knoll employees showed up.
At NeoCon HNI honored the retirement of Kevin Stark, and I wrote in officeinsight that it’s too bad more companies don’t think to host such events at venues like NeoCon when friends from around the industry can attend (see officeinsight June 26, 2017, Page 6). But I get it…it’s really a big enough deal for a company to hold the likes of an annual picnic to “give back” to employees without trying to entertain the whole world of current and former employees (or “members” as companies are now inclined to call employees).
Thus our reunion was unofficial. That is, while Knoll graciously allowed us to hold it in its New York showroom, it was not a Knoll company event per se. Those of us who attended chipped in for the plentiful and excellent catered food and drinks.
When I told my good friend Carl Magnusson I’d be flying in from Dallas for the reunion, he invited me to save the hotel bill and stay with him and his wife, Emanuela. This is how we roll. Unfortunately for Carl, being the dotard I am, I was convinced and I eventually convinced him that the reunion started at 4:00pm. When he asked me who would start an event a 4 o’clock, I wittily responded, “Someone throwing a party for a bunch of geriatric XKEs.” It turns out the party started at 6:30, so when Carl and I showed up at 4:00 we were politely invited to get lost for a couple of hours. So we did what any self-respecting Knollie would do; we headed over to the Seagram’s Building and The Grill, the newly refurbished Philip Johnson Four Seasons bar, for a drink or two (see the NY Times Review).
On our return the party was in full swing. The hugs and happy kisses as old friends reconnected continued throughout the evening as the life updates and what we’re doing now stories flowed like wine. Some wine flowed too, but not too much. I can only speak for myself, but I was having too much fun to bother getting drunk.
The setting was perfect. No matter in which era of the company history you participated, there were plenty of physical artifacts to make you feel at home. Furniture from Saarinen to Rockwell adorned the space and a big mural of Hans and Florence Knoll oversaw the whole thing…always modern.
One of the biggest hits of the night was a slide show of old photos Janet had invited people to send in. It was running on several projectors around the showroom and crowds were gathered at each one laughing and pointing and reminiscing together.
So here are some pictures from the night; perhaps for the slide show at a future reunion. My only regret is that not every person is represented here. For those of you who don’t see yourself, accept my apologies and take it up with those who are in more than one picture!
A huge thanks to Knoll for allowing it and to Janet Bennett for doing the heavy lifting in making the party a success and Vincent McDowell for the photos. And to everyone who attended, it was great to see you. Let’s not wait so long for the next one.