DS-373 is Alfredo Häberli’s homage to de Sede’s fascination with NECK leather. The folds in this five-millimetre thick leather are so elegantly arranged that a single bull hide creates an understated, perfectly-formed sofa. Alfredo Häberli’s basis and inspiration for the DS-373 was a small leather elephant found at a flea market. Made from a smooth piece of leather, it features an exquisitely folded design, giving it its three-dimensional shape.
When designing the DS-373, his primary goal was to develop an understated, stripped-back shape in a refined piece of bullhide in a way which allowed the unique grain of the NECK leather to highlight the expression of the design. During this process, he focused on the pattern, scaled-down stitching and ergonomics. The model’s form is based on NECK leather’s natural qualities. The 5 mm thick bullhide gives the product its signature expression and forms the basis of the design. It began with a piece of NECK leather, which went on to inspire Häberli’s vision and ultimately produced the DS-373 with some help from the de Sede expert team. Another of the model’s most impressive aspects is the way in which a single piece of leather fits seamlessly across all parts, the back and the seat cushions.
For the DS-373 Designer’s Choice edition, Alfredo Häberli selected materials not listed in the existing de Sede material collection. For the upholstery, he chose an open-pored and untreated neck leather that has been tanned using plant extracts. With use, a patina typical of this type of material forms relatively quickly; this is a characteristic of high-quality leather.
The Designer’s Choice steel underframe shines thanks to its burnt, matt copper plating. The raw style of both the leather and underframe makes them a perfect match. Alfredo Häberli’s signature is burned into the back of the furniture alongside the de Sede logo.
