Cappellini

Heritage

Cappellini began in 1946, when Enrico Cappellini opened a small workshop in Carugo, a town a few steps from Como and Milan, producing traditional furniture according to the artisan traditions of the Brianza area. In 1977 his son Giulio Cappellini joined the company with the precise intent of bringing innovation and launching the brand on the international market. In 1981 Cappellini launched Sistemi, a new way of conceiving cabinets that combined function and aesthetics in serial production.

Philosophy

Under Giulio Cappellini, an architect trained in Milan, the company became known as a trendsetter and a talent scout: Jasper Morrison, Marc Newson, Marcel Wanders, the Bouroullec brothers and Nendo were all launched or championed through collaborations with the brand. Cappellini has repeatedly changed how design is presented, from the 1992 House of Cappellini show at the Fabbrica del Vapore in Milan, staged outside the traditional fair sites, to the 2000 presentation at Superstudio in the Tortona district.

Iconic Works

• Progetti Compiuti collection with Shiro Kuramata (1986)
• Thinking Man's Chair by Jasper Morrison (1987)
• Embryo Chair by Marc Newson (1988)
• S-Chair by Tom Dixon (1991)
• Proust armchair by Alessandro Mendini (produced from 1993)
• Knotted Chair by Marcel Wanders (1996)
• Cloud bookshelf by the Bouroullec brothers (2004)
• Peacock armchair by Dror (2009)
• Tube Chair by Joe Colombo (produced from 2016)

Today

Cappellini is part of Cap Design S.p.A., with its legal head office in Meda, under the management and coordination of Haworth. In 2019 the Cappellini Hub opened north of Milan, bringing operations, technical and R&D departments, marketing and customer service together in an industrial space of more than 6,000 sqm. In 2022 Giulio Cappellini received the Compasso d'Oro Career Award, and in 2023 the brand opened Spazio Cappellini Milano in via Borgogna 8, in the Durini Design District.