Alessi
Alessi 1920s – 40s
•
Founded in 1921 by Giovanni Alessi, the
company started as a workshop in Valle
Strona near Lake Orta in the Italian Alps near
Switzerland.
•
Alessi started by producing a wide range of
tableware items in nickel, chromium and
silver-plated brass. The company’s intention
was to produce hand-crafted items with the
aid of machines.
•
Design in the current sense of the term
began when Carlo Alessi (born 1916), son of
Giovanni, was named chief designer. Carlo
was trained as an industrial designer.
•
Between 1935 and 1945 Carlo developed
virtually all of the products that Alessi
produced.
Tea Pot - "Ottagonale" Design Carlo
Alessi 1935
Alessi 1950s – 60s
•
In the 1950s the company was under the
leadership of Carlo Alessi. His brother Ettore
Alessi introduced the collaboration with
external designers in 1955.
•
With some architects, he designed a number
of items which were created for the hotel
needs. These collaborations resulted in the
creation of many successful products, many
of which were best-sellers, such as the
historical series of wire baskets.
One of the key designs of this period is
the shaker from 1957 by Luigi Massoni and Carlo
Mazzeri . (see right)
•
1950s was also a hard time for the company.
The Second World had only ended five years
before so a lot of people did not an
expendable income to spend on designer
objects.
Date: 1957
Material: Stainless steel
Dimensions: 7 7/8 x 3 1/4" (20 x 8.2cm)
Alessi 1970s – 80s
•
In the 1970s Alberto Alessi was responsible
for the third transformation of the company.
They collaborated with designers such
as Richard Sapper, Alessandro Mendini
and Ettore Sottsass who are now all icons of
the 1970s.
•
In the 1980s Alessi changed their ideology
from factory to industrial research lab; it
became a place for research and production.
•
In the 1980’s Alessi collaborated with new
designers like Aldo Rossi, Michael
Graves and Philippe Starck who have been
responsible for the some of Alessi's all time
bestseller like the kettle with a bird whistle
by Graves.
1990s - Present
• In the 1990s Alessi started to work
a lot with plastic. This originated in
a request from the designers
because it is an easier material to
work with than metal and
therefore gave the designers more
freedom in their designs.
• The nineties is marked by the
project ‘Family Follows Fiction’
with playful and imaginative
objects. Many artists designed for
this project like Stefano Giovannoni
and Alessandro Mendini who
designed Fruit Mama and the
bestseller Anna G.
1990s - Present
•
Other notable deisgns of the Naughties include
the Blow Up series by Fratelli Campana. The
brothers played with form and shape to create
baskets and other objects that look like they fall
apart when you touch them. They had a very
deligate and fractured look.
•
In 2006, the company reclassified its products
under three lines: A di Alessi, Alessi and Officina
Alessi:
- A di Alessi is more ‘democratic’ and more ‘pop’.
This product line is the lower price range of Alessi.
-Alessi is the historic brand company and continues
to develop the best of industrial mass production
industry from the view of quality and design in a
medium/high price range.
- The Officina Alessi is more exclusive, innovative
and experimental, this is marked by small
production series and limited series. Alessi products
are on display in museums worldwide.
Juicy Salif
http://www.dezeen.com/
2014/07/09/moviealberto-alessi-juicy-salifcontroversial-lemonsqueezer-philippestarck/
Material : Cast aluminum
Dimensions: H: 29.2 cm Diam: 14 cm
Cost: around £40
The Original Juicer Idea
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The Melodic Kettle 9091
http://www.dezeen.com/
2014/07/06/moviealberto-alessi-9091harmonic-kettlerichard-sapper/
Materials: Stainless steel, brass
and plastic.
Size: 19cm – diameter
Cost: £173.00
The 9091 was Alessi's first designer kettle, ushering in a
long and successful tradition. The central element in the
design is the brass whistle which, when the steam exits,
produces a short and pleasant melody. Richard Sapper
wanted to avoid the usual anxiety-generating noise
produced by other kettles then on the market, and by
following this exquisitely poetic philosophy he produced
what is probably the first multisensory object for the
kitchen.
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Cico Egg Cup and Spoon
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Material: Thermoplastic Resin
Size: H12 xD9cm
Retail Price: £11.95
Dishwasher Safe: NO
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Anna G
A best seller since it was first
produced in 1994, the Anna G.
corkscrew is a tongue-in-cheek
homage to a real woman. Her smiling
face has become something of a cult
figure over the years, giving birth (so
to speak) to a rich family of objects
for the table and kitchen in a wide
range of materials.
Materials: PA (polyamide), chrome-plated zamak
Designed by: Alessandro Mendini
Size: 8cm x 27.3cm x 7.8cm
Retail Price: £30 approx
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