Mise en Place, Alessi (12)

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Utility is the end, design is the means

[ MISE EN PLACE ] A triumph of shapes and colours. The tabletop is enlivened by the exuberant Circus collection, designed for Alessi by Marcel Wanders, whose creativity and imagination is also expressed by the choice of materials stainless steel, tin plate, bone china and glass

On the table and in the kitchen it’s the must-have brand, a symbol of Made in Italy entrepreneurial creativity

by Marta Bernasconi

t would be hard to find an Italian household without at least one Alessi product. The company, based in Omegna, on Lake Orta, was founded in 1921, and since then it has created an unending stream of objects that have become domestic style classics, especially on the table and in the kitchen. The secret of this long-term success is quality, research and constant innovation, three traits that have characterised the brand since its inception. The course of the brand’s long, prolific career has been shaped by several crucial periods - the 1920s and 1930s saw an emphasis on production skills, in the 1950s Alessi opened up to collaborations with outside talent, and the 1970s were marked by the arrival of Alberto Alessi, a keen promoter of the design ethic. From the 1980s onwards

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[ MISE EN PLACE ]

An unconventional mise en place, bringing a light-hearted appeal to on-board life. The collection includes home accessories and tableware for different occasions - breakfast, nibbles, aperitifs and desserts. The range of objects includes trays, bottle holders, ice buckets, mugs and bowls

the company became a creative hotbed, with international design

and the result is a unique collection of objects that have become

collaborations and a series of objects that have become brand icons,

synonymous with the brand and symbols of Italian design culture.

including the unmistakeable kettle with bird-shaped whistle by

Against this background it is inevitable that Alessi’s mise en place is

Michael Graves (1985), Philippe Starck’s spider-like citrus-squeezer

always new, never conventional. There are no predetermined rules,

launched in 1990 and the corkscrew in the form of a woman

except for a certain mood pervading the brand’s output - on the

created by Alessandro Mendini in 1994. The new millennium saw

table the objects must be innovative, skilfully created and capable

Alessi begin to explore new ways of designing domestic objects,

of raising a smile, or at least of inspiring a little good humour and

investigating influences from contemporary architecture and interior

lightheartedness. The Alessi Circus collection is a sparkling example

design. As a result the company was able to assimilate the ideas

of this spirit. Designed by Marcel Wanders, it comprises 29 products

of Doriana and Massimiliano Fuksas, David Chipperfield and the

and five limited edition pieces, each representing a circus performer.

Campana brothers.

Its skilful mix of materials and techniques - stainless steel, bone

The Alessi story is one of freedom and daring - few companies can

china, tin plate and glass - shape lively ornamental objects whose

equal its ability to renew itself and explore new paths with every

geometry creates an elegant equilibrium.

collection. Alessi will always choose the new, exciting alternative,

www.alessi.com

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