Description
SOLD to LUCY & RYAN within 3 DAYS OF BEING LISTED ON THIS WEBSITE FOR $2190 (ALL 6 chairs). RRP NEW- approx. $7500 for 6 (but most likely more). Get in contact with us if you have a similar item you’d like to sell.
NOTE- any orange shine in the photos is the sun reflecting off an orange wall nearby. The chairs are glossy jet-black with no orange undertone etc.
Provenance and Background Info
Love these chairs! These are something I’d have in my own home in a second. They are based on the famous Cassina Cab chair designed by architect, Mario Bellini in 1977. The Cab chair quickly elevated through the ranks to become a design icon of the 20th Century. I think these Fasem chairs are an improvement on the Cab design (they’re not as bulky as the Cab chair and the quality is at least as exceptional). I’ve had Cab chairs in the past but I’d rather these if I needed any more dining chairs. And this design has just as strong investment appeal as the Cab chairs.… Well at this price I think a lot more. The last set of Cab chairs I had sold for $825 each quite quickly. I like these just as much- the workmanship is just as exceptional and they’ve been priced here at LESS THAN HALF THE PRICE of the last Cab chairs I sold (these are also Italian made and this particular set is actually older than the last set of Cab chairs I sold as well). Cab chairs are still being made to this day (over 40 years on). These Fasem chairs are also still being made (about 30 years on).
This is the S91 Model by Giancarlo Vegni for Fasem of Italy. Designed in the very early 1990’s, this set has the original labels AND they’re each embossed underneath in the leather- “Fasem Made in Italy 07 94”. The 07 94 is the date – July 1994. For chairs that are 25 years old, the condition is incredible but this is of little surprise when you inspect them closer. The quality is exceptional and the workmanship meticulous. The thick saddle-leather has been HAND-STITCHED to the highest standards. These chairs look classy and stylish but the comfort is just as good- high back and the leather melds to the shape of your body as soon as you sit down. They’re super-comfortable for dining chairs!
They tick all the boxes but the investment appeal box more than the rest. A pair of these Fasem S91 chairs sold recently in Europe for AUD $1327.47 (USD $897) so AU $660 EACH- see the screenshot. But who wants 2 dining chairs?! Based on this, I’d say the retail price new these days would have to be about AUD $7800 for 6- it could even be more by the time you get them into Australia from Italy. At my price this would be one third or possibly even about one quarter of the new price but these are VINTAGE chairs- they’re 25 years old! Because they’re a design classic, having an older version in brilliant original condition adds even more value.
After most modern chairs have ended up as landfill, this exceptional set of 25-year-old chairs will be passed onto another owner and very likely future generations (if they’re used with any sense). There’s obviously no better way to help protect our environment and reduce your carbon footprint but it’s also the smartest furniture investment I can think of. I value these chairs at more than this price today and see no reason why this vintage design won’t increase in value over the years. Buying vintage furniture is arguably the best way to buy furniture (I doubt there could be much argument on that to be honest- in my opinion, it’s fact).
Ref- 1908
