The design brand that flooded the world with its humorous kitchen tools: the story of Alessi
Alessi is a household name when it comes to designer kitchenware and humorous everyday objects. The biggest names have worked for them, such as Marcel Wanders and Philippe Starck, helping the Lombard manufacturer to reach and remain at the forefront of the world. The Fratelli Alessi Omegna (FAO) factory and foundry was founded in 1921 by Giovanni Alessi, a former turner, and his brother in Omegna on the shores of Lake Orta, to process brass and nickel-silver sheets. The first products, coated with nickel, chrome or silver, were inspired by the most important Austrian and English manufacturers of the early 20th century and quickly became well-known for their meticulous workmanship and perfect execution. In the 1930s, the company's growth accelerated, allowing it to hire more employees and develop its sales network. In 1932, Giovanni's eldest son, Carlo, who designed the vast majority of the objects until 1945, joined the team, thanks to whom the first original products, not inspired by other companies, appeared.
World War II also affected Alessi, and like many Italian factories, they had to switch to arms production, but on the one hand, this can also be seen as a positive event for the company, as it gave the management a chance to rethink its operations from the ground up after the war. They developed a much cleaner product image, which was able to compete with its competitors in the developing Italian design industry with its creativity.
From a company serving the HoReCa sector to a consumer brand
The company gradually abandoned soft metals in the 1950s and switched to stainless steel, transforming manufacturing production into industrial production. The company was committed to serving the hospitality industry, producing for hotels, restaurants and bars, and their new name reflected the change in concept: ALessi FRAtelli (ALFRA). It was also time for the second generation to take over: Carlo took over, while his brother, Ettore, who arrived in 1945, took over the engineering team, playing a major role in shaping the brand's design DNA. It was at this time that certain industrial-style products appeared in the portfolio, such as baskets and fruit bowls made of steel wire, and it was also at this time that the collaborations with independent designers began, which still characterize the company today.
The first consumer products appeared in the 1960s, the Ceselleria Alessi collection was a reinterpretation of traditional silverware. It became a bestseller, and this paved the way for the company's international success. In 1964, they beat 100 Italian brands to win the Mercurio d'Oro Award for Industry, and from then on they were known as one of the most creative companies in the world.
Leading the way with design competitions
Alberto Alessi, the founder's grandson and still managing director, joined the company in 1970 and created the Alessi d'Aprés project, which involved world-famous artists such as Salvador Dalí, Alessandro Mendini, Achille Castiglioni and Ettore Sottsas. His plan was to reposition Alessi from a company producing functional objects to a Design Factory with the help of design heavyweights, which he succeeded in doing. In the first half of the 1980s, he and Mendini launched a research project called Tea & Coffee Piazza, which aimed to find fresh voices and young artists who could renew the design language of household items. The competition theme was tea and coffee sets, and the initiative was a huge success, further enhancing Alessi's reputation as a pioneer in the design world.
The careers of several famous designers were launched thanks to this competition. In the 90s, Alessi then launched its Centro Studi Alessi (CSA) project, based on this analogy, which also fundamentally helped new designers to develop. Iconic products such as the Firebird lighter or the Mary biscuit box were created within its framework. The program also broadened the company's own horizons: the monopoly of steel, which had been used almost exclusively until then, ended, and porcelain, wood, plastic, glass and ceramics also appeared alongside it. The Alessi Museum was also opened in Omegna in 1998 to display the objects. In the 2000s, the coffee set design competition was also heated up, and the Tea & Coffee Towers led to the collaboration with Zaha Hadid, among others. In 2021, on the company's 100th anniversary, they came up with special, redesigned pieces month after month, which were only available in Hungary at the Max Design Pop_up multibrand store, which also has the country's largest Alessi range, in the MaxCity Home Furnishings Shopping Center.
