Cappellini: the Italian house that launched Jasper Morrison, Marc Newson and Tom Dixon
Cappellini has been a launching pad for important contemporary designers since the 1980s. Their catalogue includes Jasper Morrison, Marc Newson, Tom Dixon, the Bouroullec brothers and Nendo. Here's the short story.
Cappellini is the Italian house that gave Jasper Morrison, Marc Newson and Tom Dixon their first commissions, which is why its 1980s and 1990s catalogue reads like a list of careers starting. Founded in 1946 in Arosio, north of Milan, it turned in the 1980s when Giulio Cappellini became art director and began backing young, then-unknown designers. On Whoppah a 1990s Newson Embryo chair (1988) sells at €1,800 to €4,500, Morrison's Thinking Man's Chair (1986) at €800 to €1,800, and Dixon's S-chair (1988) at €1,200 to €3,000. These pieces are mature enough now that prices are stable rather than speculative. Our curators see strong demand across our broader EU buyer markets.
Cappellini was founded in 1946 in Arosio, north of Milan. Like several of the Italian post-war manufacturers, they spent the first decades as a relatively traditional furniture maker. The transformation came in the 1980s when Giulio Cappellini took over as art director and began systematically commissioning work from young, then-unknown international designers.
The list of designers Cappellini gave their first commission to is extraordinary: Jasper Morrison (the Thinking Man's Chair, 1986), Marc Newson (the Embryo chair, 1988), Tom Dixon (the S-chair, 1988), Ross Lovegrove, the Bouroullec brothers (the Lit Clos, 2000), Nendo, Werner Aisslinger, and many others. Cappellini is, in many ways, the contemporary equivalent of what Cassina was in the 1950s and 60s: the house that takes risks on new talent and shapes design discourse through curation.
What does a used Cappellini Embryo chair cost on Whoppah?
The Embryo chair (Marc Newson, 1988), the bulbous lounge chair in saturated colour upholstery, is one of the iconic Cappellini pieces. Vintage examples from the 1990s sit at €1,800 to €4,500 on Whoppah.
The Thinking Man's Chair (Jasper Morrison, 1986), the steel-wire lounge chair, is the brand's spare counterpoint. €800 to €1,800 used.
The S-chair (Tom Dixon, 1988), the curved-steel S-shaped lounge chair, is the most theatrical Cappellini. €1,200 to €3,000 vintage.
The Wood chair (Marc Newson, 1992), the laminated-bent-wood lounge chair, is the technically most ambitious. €1,500 to €4,500 in good vintage Cappellini production.
How do you recognise an authentic Cappellini piece?
What to look for on the secondhand market: every authentic Cappellini piece carries the Cappellini label, usually on the underside of the seat or inside the upholstery. The brand's pieces from the 1990s and 2000s are now mature enough that the secondhand market has settled, and prices are stable rather than speculative.
Cappellini is owned by Haworth Group since 2004, but the editorial direction has remained intact, with Giulio Cappellini continuing as art director.
