Alessi

During the 1980s the Alessi company emerged at the forefront of design activity. Founded in 1921 to produce crafted products in metal for eating and drinking, Alberto Alessi launched the company into the design decade through his collaboration with designers and architects such as Sottsass, Sapper, Castiglioni and Mendini and the creation of two main trade marks: "Alessi", geared towards mass production and "Officina Alessi" towards more experimental limited editions. Alberto Alessi discusses the company's design ethos, viewing it as a research laboratory in the applied arts. Michael Graves and Alessandro Mendini provide their own personal views, as do many of the designers who have worked with Alessi. Daniel Weil writes from an academic point of view and Nonie Niesewand from that of a design editor. All the famous products are illustrated and many less well-known and unpublished material is also included. Following the rebuttal of the design decade, this book shows how Alessi flourishes and develops into the 1990s.