Alessi (founded in 1921), purveyor of hip, elegant utensils, combines the slickness of mechanized production with a tradition of skilled, labor-intensive work to fill the needs and dreams of many a design-conscious kitchen. Located in the town of Crusinallo, some one-hour car drive from Milan, the Alessi factory is in a region of Italy known since the 17th century for its fine metalwork, and Alessi has been a venerable member of that tradition since 1921 when Giovanni Alessi opened his factory. Giovanni's grandson, Alberto Alessi, who has been heading the company since 1970, has recruited some of the best and most well-known designers to contribute designs to Alessi's stable of products Ettore Sottsass, Richard Sapper, Achille Castiglioni, Michael Graves, Aldo Rossi, and of course, Philippe Starck. It was also Alberto Alessi who is responsible for Alessi’s move beyond metalwork to produce designs in ceramic, wood, and plastic. Who else but Alessi would commission Phillipe Starck to design a plastic fly-swatter, Dr. Fly , turning an old-fashioned and nearly useless object into a design status symbol? It is also not an exaggeration to say that companies like Target is cashing on the design wave started by Alessi, with their own line of Michael Graves-designed kitchenware. But Alessi products, like Alessi itself, is inimitable.
