The third Alessi to take over the Alessi Design Factory, Alberto Alessi has been credited with extending product offerings and making design more affordable for the masses. We met the man in charge a couple weeks back at the newly renovated Plaza Hotel in NYC for a short interview. An official Cool Hunting Capsule Video on the man and the family business is on its way, stay tuned.
Alessi is smart, on point, funny and deep. Above he is talking about idea generation and how Richard Sapper’s Melodic Tea Kettle (1983, below left) was developed. One of Alessi’s most successful products to date, it was followed up by a Michael Graves rendition that has also become one of their best selling items (1985, below right).
He comments, “the most perfectly designed object in the world is an egg, but then again it is made by the ass,” (in a thick italian accent).
With a stable of designers including the likes of the late Etorre Sotsass (condiment set, 1978 and cutlery set, 1987 above), Jasper Morrison, Stefano Giovanni and Alberto Mendini, it’s hard to go wrong with something from the Alessi Design Factory.
A behind the behind the scenes, na mean?
