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: 1957Material: Stainless steelDimensions: 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/movie-alberto-alessi-juicy-salif-controversial-lemon-squeezer-philippe-starck/

Material : Cast aluminumDimensions: H: 29.2 cm Diam: 14 cmCost: around £40

The Original Juicer Idea

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The Melodic Kettle 9091

http://www.dezeen.com/2014/07/06/movie-alberto-alessi-9091-harmonic-kettle-richard-sapper/

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.

Materials: Stainless steel, brass and plastic.Size: 19cm – diameterCost: £173.00

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Cico Egg Cup and Spoon

• 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 zamakDesigned by: Alessandro MendiniSize: 8cm x 27.3cm x 7.8cmRetail Price: £30 approx

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