Moroso: the Italian upholstery house behind Patricia Urquiola's most famous pieces
Moroso has been making upholstered furniture in Friuli since 1952. Their catalogue includes Patricia Urquiola, Ron Arad, Marcel Wanders and Tord Boontje. Here's the short story.
Moroso is the Italian upholstery house behind Patricia Urquiola's most famous pieces, and its early-2000s production is reaching the secondhand market before prices have caught up to the design importance. Agostino and Diana Moroso founded the company in Udine in 1952, and it turned in the 1990s when Patrizia Moroso became creative director and brought in Urquiola, Ron Arad, Marcel Wanders and Tokujin Yoshioka. On Whoppah a Tropicalia chaise (Urquiola, 2008) sells at €1,200 to €3,000, an Antibodi chair at €800 to €1,800, and Ron Arad's Big Easy at €1,800 to €4,500. Our curators check the Tropicalia weave for unravelling and sun damage, and see strong demand from buyers in Italy, France and Germany.
Moroso was founded in 1952 in Udine, in north-east Italy, by Agostino and Diana Moroso. The company spent its first three decades as a relatively traditional Italian upholstery manufacturer. The transformation came in the 1990s when Patrizia Moroso took over as creative director and brought in a roster of international contemporary designers: Patricia Urquiola, Ron Arad, Marcel Wanders, Tord Boontje, Tokujin Yoshioka and Front Design.
What does a Moroso Tropicalia chaise cost secondhand?
The Tropicalia chaise (Patricia Urquiola, 2008), with the colourful woven seat on a steel frame, is the Moroso piece most often photographed. Vintage Moroso Tropicalias from the early 2010s sell on Whoppah at €1,200 to €3,000 depending on weave condition and frame.
The Antibodi chair (Patricia Urquiola, 2006), the felt-petal stacking chair, is the more sculptural Moroso. €800 to €1,800 used.
The Big Easy chair (Ron Arad, 1988, Moroso production from 1991), the cartoon-curved upholstered armchair, is the brand's most theatrical piece. €1,800 to €4,500 in vintage Moroso production.
The Misfits modular sofa (Ron Arad, 2006) is the brand's modular workhorse. €2,200 to €5,000 used.
How do you recognise an authentic Moroso piece?
What to look for on the secondhand market: authentic Moroso pieces carry the Moroso label, usually sewn into the upholstery near a corner. Tropicalia's distinctive woven seat is the design's most fragile element; check for unravelling or sun damage to the weave. The Antibodi chair's felt petals can flatten over time; sympathetically restored examples are acceptable.
Moroso production from the early 2000s is now starting to appear regularly on the secondhand market, and the prices haven't yet caught up to the design importance. The Tropicalia in particular will probably appreciate over the next decade.
Reupholstery on Moroso pieces is possible but should use designer-approved fabric where the original design is fabric-specific (the Tropicalia weave, the Antibodi felt). For neutral upholstered pieces like the Misfits, reupholstery in any quality fabric is acceptable.
