The Design Factory Book

Alessi The Design Factory During the 1980s the Alessi company emerged at the fore-front 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 unique collaboration with designers and architects such as Ettore Sottsass, Richard Sapper. Achille Castiglioni and Alessandro 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, and in comprehensive extracts from the Alessi Factory Journal he provides valuable insights into the evolution of products and the relationships with their designers. Alessandro Mendini, Ettore Sottsass, Richard Sapper, Achille Castiglioni, Richard Meier, Hans Hollein and Andrea Branzi contribute statements on their work with Alessi, and there are essays by Michael Graves, Nonie Niesewand, Marco Migliari and Daniel Weil. All the famous products are fully illustrated as well as much less well-known and unpublished material. Following the rebuttal of the design decade, this book shows how Alessi flourishes and develops into the 1990s. Art & Design Monographs are a new series of publications concentrating on artists and designers of lasting interest and importance. Fully illustrated in colour, the Monographs contain expertly written commentaries on the careers and works of the individuals represented providing a richly visual and comprehensive critical study. Other Monographs include: Allen Jones Christopher Dresser Arthur Boyd at Bundanon