Alessi can’t stop, won’t stop producing homewares at a seriously rapid clip. The Italian brand has been around since 1921; over the years, its exclusive focus on metal goods has expanded to include glass, plastic, rattan, and even a kind of concrete, and every season the company works with big name and up-and-comers to introduce a fresh batch of new products.
Last week I went to check out the latest from the company’s Fall/Winter collection at SF’s Alessi shop, and picked a few favourites.
Cargo Box by Big Game
This is a sweet little plastic catch-all, inspired by Swiss tool caddies that would corral all your junk — desktop or workshop or otherwise — really well; big enough to hold some chunky stuff, but not so oversized that it becomes impossible to paw through when you need to find something. Bonus: It’s easy to tote around, or you can pop out the wooden handle.
La Trama e l’Ordito (“The Warp and Weft”) by LPWK
La Trama a l’Ordito represents a foray into a brand new material for Alessi, which worked with a concrete company to produce these bowls from Effix Design, a type of mortar used for intricate detailing. They look like a textile, but have a super solid matte finish, and the whole thing has a nice, hefty weight to it without being too heavy. Plus, since the pigment is mixed in, it can work indoors or outdoors.
Acacia by Miriam Mirri
Do you need a honey drizzler? Nah. But, if you’re the kind of home chef (or host/ess) who likes specialised tools for specialised jobs, this stainless steel wand is adorable, and the hexagons give a nice nod to the hive.
Ossidiana by Mario Trimarchi
I love the look of these espresso makers. Trimarchi designed these in the spirit of a sculptor who starts with a big ol’ chunk of raw material and painstakingly chips away at it until an entirely new form emerges. They have got a kind of industrial, Art Deco-vibe with an edge, as the giant facets are asymmetrical all the way around. Plus, they’re designed to give you a good grip and make it easy to unscrew the top from bottom when it’s time to clean.
Joy collection by Claudia Raimondo
It’s tough to describe how cool the colours are on these faceted bowls and platters are without seeing them in person, but these pics do a pretty good job of showing off. The pieces are powder-coated using “enamel paint” in a uniform colour, but the angular surface makes it look like it’s reflecting a million different hues at once. There’s a really incredible depth and shine that is totally mesmerising (seriously, I could have stared at the blue one all afternoon).
Vime by Fernando & Humberto Campana
This is a centrepiece designed by the Campana brothers, and true to their eclectic, occasionally controversial form — think wildly expensive “favela-chic” chairs — I think it’s a love-it-or-hate-it kind of thing. The round rattan base can be used to hold non-moldy fruit — or any bits and bobs you want, really — but the open column at the top was intended to house a stray branch; These dudes do love their found materials. This delighted me to no end, because I actually do (randomly) collect good looking twigs to wrap with colourful yarns and embroidery floss, but I have the feeling it’s not to everyone’s taste. That being said, you could just as easily ignore the fact it’s there and leave it empty, or stick some dried flowers in for a little something extra.
Check out more here.