Origin of Alessi
The story of Alessi began shortly after World War 1 when Giovanni Alessi started handcrafting stainless steel cutlery for the catering industry from his home. However, the company was only officially founded in 1935 when his son, Carlo, joined his company.
Carlo became the de facto in-house designer for Alessi until the 1950s when they started collaborating with external named designers. It was at around this time that Alessi expanded its product range to include consumer homeware products. Within a decade, Alessi’s consistently innovative and popular designs raised its public profile and the company was widely regarded as one of Italy’s “Design Factories”.
Alessi underwent an existential crisis of sorts in the 1980s, when low-cost foreign manufacturers threatened its business model. However, the company remained firm in its convictions and weathered the period of uncertainty to emerge stronger.
Today, the company remains under the control of the Alessi family under the leadership of Alberto Alessi, the grandson of Giovanni. Its products are currently manufactured exclusively from its factory in Crusinallo in Piedmont, Italy.
Alessi Range of Products
With over three hundred designers working on its products, the Alessi design is capable of elevating and enhancing the beauty of your home without compromising on quality and functionality.
A great example of this is the Alessi kettle, specifically, the Officina Kettle. Designed by award-winning German industrial designer Richard Sapper, the polished stainless-steel kettle boasts of a unique brass whistle that sings out a lovely melody, a magnetic base for even heat distribution and a bold PA handle.
If that’s not enough of a statement, take a look at the La Stanza fruit bowl. Designed by famed freehand designer, Mario Trimarchi, the La Stanza bowl is constructed using pieces of mirror-polished stainless-steel rectangles, giving it a very futuristic look. It honestly would not look out of place in a Star Trek movie.
Do they have anything for the living room or bedroom, you ask? They certainly do.
Have we introduced you to the Girotondo Table Luminaire lamp yet? Shaped like a miniature gingerbread man, this 2.2 W LED light will illuminate your living space and become a party conversation piece!
Or what about the Five Seasons Fragrance Diffuser? The leaf-shaped mahogany scented sticks give out delicate aromas of hyacinth, vetiver and cardamom, which will fill your entire home with a heady scent.
Even the bathroom is not left out. Alessi’s Merdolino toilet brush looks almost too cute to use. The green and blue brush, shaped like a potted plant, was designed by Stefano Giovannoni in the 1990s. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Merdolino were used as a decorative piece instead!
As you can see, Alessi’s assortment of products is bursting with so much creativity. They certainly deserve a few minutes worth of browsing time, wouldn’t you agree?