Alessi begins 2014 with an essential collection that appeals to the widest range of tastes. The new offerings expand Alessi’s vast encyclopedia of products for the home, kitchen, entertaining, pets and their accessories, and more.
This year Alessi is setting the table with an interesting new set of stainless steel cutlery that joins the already vast catalogue of designer cutlery. In his first cutlery set for Alessi, Dutch architect Wiel Arets once again proves his ability to extract the essence of the shape from objects. The eat.it collection originated from a symmetrical design where the shape of the handle and the upper part are equivalent and opposite, like the mathematical symbol for infinity. “Never imposing, the cutlery instead welcomes one’s touch, imploring to be used. Its presence maintains a noble silence as its qualities elevate everyday rituals to a heightened state of transcendent euphoria,” says Arets. In addition to traditional pieces, the eat.it set also features an original spaghetti serving fork, risotto serving spoon, a butter knife, and a spoon with a long handle for lattes or cold drinks. The unique shape of the cutlery suggests an unconventional way to set the table, with easy-to-arrange pieces that can be stacked vertically together.
The Officina Alessi catalogue presents the first collaboration with architect and designer Michele De Lucchi, designer of the signature Tolomeo lamp for Artemide. For Alessi, Quattro muri e due case is a rectangular tray which reveals the designer’s identity: two cottages and a flat space surrounded by a wall resembling a miniature landscape virtually handcrafted in bamboo wood. De Lucchi’s passion for natural materials and manual craftsmanship shine through even in this industrial project. The designer believes that the authenticity of these materials must remain intact by accepting their natural essence, since time is the greatest artist there is and what it manages to do to the surface of things is unmatched. The tray can also be considered a full-fledged industrial product that embodies the essence of a project that walks the line between art and craft.
With a vast product line that includes everything from an iconic, whistling teakettle to a designer fly swatter, the Alessi company, founded in 1921 by Giovanni Alessi, has long been at the forefront of innovative and inspired product design. The company has created a dynasty out of not only offering products geared towards the mainstream – serving trays and everyday cutlery among them – but by also creating some of the most celebrated cult objects of our time.
For more information, please visit www.alessi.com.