“The furniture that surrounds us must be beautiful, provocative and meaningful. They are instruments of our pleasures and the symbols of our period.” This is how furniture designer Dakota Jackson explained the purpose of his work. The founder of the Dakota Jackson, Inc. brand became well-known for his avant-garde interior pieces that stand out among other moving parts or hidden compartment items. He also collaborates with Steinway & Sons, a well-known company that creates high-quality musical instruments. Find out more about the iconic New Yorker at queens1.one.
Career as a magician
The entrepreneur was born on August 24, 1949, in Queens, to a family of professional magicians. He grew up on stage, learning circus skills from an early age. Dakota has performed alongside his father since he was six years old. Until his twenties, Jackson lived in a world of magic. In 1963, he started performing in talent shows at the Frank Sansivieri Intermediate School and at children’s birthday celebrations. The young man brought his own props for performances, including large boxes for sawing a woman in half and small boxes from which pigeons flew out.
After graduating from high school in 1967, Dakota Jackson continued to perform as a magician, performing at art galleries and nightclubs, touring the Catskills (southeastern New York) and attending social events. The magician learned exceptional discipline from his experience, which helped him in his future career as an entrepreneur and furniture designer.
In the late 1960s, Jackson relocated to New York’s Chelsea neighborhood, which is known for its townhouses, low-rise apartment buildings, luxury skyscrapers and trendy tourist attractions. Then Jackson joined a community of creators who moved to the neighborhood for low-cost housing and a busy social life. In addition to magic tricks, Jackson was engaged in dancing, in particular, performing in ensembles choreographed by Laura Dean and Trisha Brown.
Designing furniture for the rich
As Jackson experimented with dance and performance in the early 1970s, he started working as a special effects consultant for magicians, film producers and musicians. At the same time, he used his creative and engineering skills to renovate the loft, where the creative community gathered. After realizing his exceptional aptitude for this business, Jackson made the decision to connect his life with design. He began creating various items, including furniture for other artists and magic boxes with hidden compartments for private collectors and galleries.
Thanks to his strong social ties, Jackson quickly found clients. In 1974, Yoko Ono, a Japanese-American avant-garde artist, commissioned the designer to make a desk with hidden compartments for her husband, John Lennon. He became well-known all over the world as the founder, co-author of songs, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Thus, Jackson designed a cube-shaped table with rounded corners, reminiscent of the Art Deco style. By pressing on the secret points, you could open some compartments of the table.
Dakota Jackson became even more famous after designing a bed for Belgian fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg in 1978. According to the New Yorker magazine, “The Eclipse” was a huge, luxurious bed fashioned of cherry wood with quilted ivory satin accents. Behind the headboard, the designer planned a lighting system that would turn on automatically at sunset, dispersing the characteristic rays. The light became brighter by the hour until it was automatically switched off at 2:30 a.m.
Orders increased with time, and Jackson established himself as a furniture designer for the rich and famous. He was approached by Australian singer-songwriter Peter Allen, Canadian-American television screenwriter and film producer Lorne Michaels, co-founder of the popular cultural magazine Rolling Stone Yann Wenner, actress Christine Jones and other celebrities.
Among his creations, “The Library Chair,” designed by the Queens native for the San Francisco Public Library, deserves special recognition. Later, similar chairs began to be utilized in libraries around the country. They can be found at Harvard, Stanford and New York University, among others.
By the way, despite the fact that Jackson’s products are aimed at wealthy customers, at least one product was designed for mass distribution. The “Scatter Chair” features a padded seat on a swivel base made of polished aluminum with wheels. It is sewn with microfiber.
The furniture maker’s company, Dakota Jackson, Inc., is a design-oriented business, that is a manufacturing firm run by a designer. This ensures that the details and sophistication of the furniture are never compromised. Jackson himself is guided by the concept that furniture should be attractive, provocative and purposeful. Each product serves primarily to reflect the company’s artistic and manufacturing values. The company creates one-of-a-kind, high-end interior items. Custom furniture is available for designers, architects and their clients.
To be competitive, the company is constantly experimenting with new techniques and technologies. Dakota Jackson, Inc. employs workers from around the world. This is an ideal setting for designers and craftsmen to develop their skills. Jackson personally encourages worker development through seminars, internships and apprenticeships.
Designer of grand pianos
Dakota Jackson also became famous for his collaboration with Steinway & Sons, who commissioned him to create several grand pianos. In 2000, the designer created the Tricentennial Artcase Grand Piano, which defies standard concepts of the shape of this instrument because the legs “merge” with the body. In 2013, Steinway & Sons presented the 60th Anniversary Limited Edition Arabesque Piano. As you can guess from the name, this grand piano was created by the designer on the occasion of the 160th anniversary of the company. This was the company’s first instrument to receive the Red Dot Design Award. The product’s twisting legs were inspired by the Arabesque (ballet position).
Another piece, the Black Diamond Concert Grand Piano, is dedicated to the American-Chinese renowned pianist Lang Lang. After revealing the instrument to the public in 2019, the worldwide press covered it extensively. During its creation, the designer was inspired by the theory of the extraterrestrial origin of black diamonds. Jackson believes that the brilliance and uniqueness of a black diamond perfectly reflect the personality of the brilliant virtuoso.
Other activities
As you may imagine, Dakota Jackson’s work is not limited to the walls of furniture shops. In 1999, he completed work on David Yurman’s boutique on Madison Avenue (Manhattan). He also collaborated with architect Frank Gehry on a chapel for the Temple Jeremiah in Illinois. In addition, the Queens native worked with architect Peter Eisenman to create a showroom at the Pacific Design Center business complex. This is a multi-functional facility in West Hollywood (Los Angeles) created for the design community.