Famed Pittsburgh Steeler and Hall of Fame Inductee Franco Harris attended Super Bowl XLIII this week not only to root for his team, but to introduce a line of fine furniture inspired by him and the incredible 1972 “Immaculate Reception” play. The Immaculate Collection Line, launching with the Immaculate Chair, is conceived by Helen Hoey who chose to partner with national lifestyle designer Barclay Butera to build the limited-edition chair. Butera–whose design clientele includes Sharon Stone, Russell Simmons, Josh Groban, Renee Zellweger,–is known for his dedication to customizable, high-end, benchmade furnishings. The generously-proportioned chair made its rounds at numerous Super Bowl parties last week for people to try out and relax into.

“Quality, no matter what someone does, is important to me–whether playing football, or building something that will last for generations,” states Harris, the 13-season Steeler running back and Super Bowl IX MVP. “I’m lucky to have found partners who really understand what that means for this new venture of mine.”

Hoey knew she wanted a top quality American manufacturer, and upon seeing Butera’s work, knew he could exceed her expectations for quality and flexibility. “Immaculate implies both perfection and divine inspiration. The chair design is clean, refined and functional, utilizing classical shapes and beautiful materials–from the leather to the nailheads. All these are signature qualities of Barclay Butera Home furnishings, along with the fact that his pieces are benchmade and his company understands customization,” she stated.

This first piece of the Collection is a Limited Edition of 500 chairs, hand-numbered and hand-signed by both Harris and Hoey. It is customizable for size, color and additional detailing.

The Immaculate Reception is certainly one of the most famous plays in football history. NFL Films has chosen it as the greatest play of all time. Occurring during Harris’s first year with the Steelers, it was a moment in time when magic intervened in the world of probability to create something enduring and unique. Those are the qualities that serve as the inspiration for this new venture.

Helen Hoey is a Pittsburgh-based designer who will also be releasing a luxury linen brand later in 2009.

Barclay Butera, Inc. is based in Newport Beach, CA, and entails the Barclay Butera collection showrooms in Newport Beach and Los Angeles, CA, and Park City, UT. Barclay Butera Home, Inc. products (www.barclaybuterahome.com) are distributed through over 300 showrooms and To the Trade nationwide, and are represented in the designer’s retail showrooms and his ‘to the trade’ showroom in New York’s Design & Decoration (D&D) Building.

Photographed by Craig Thompson

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