Alessi unveils new products while continuing its partnerships and collaborations with luminaries from the architecture and design worlds, including Patricia Urquiola, David Chipperfield, Sakura Adachi, and Doriana and Massimiliano Fuksas.
New for the season is Edo, Patricia Urquiola’s functional new cookware set inspired by Japanese aesthetics. This collection of pots and pans addresses a variety of kitchen needs with a creative approach and exhibits a craftsmanship that promises to deliver a delightful sensory experience for the user.
Edo is the original name for Tokyo, and also refers to the Latin word “edere” which means “to eat”. The simple, graceful aesthetics of Japan became the primary source of inspiration for Urquiola’s Edo series. The designer’s idea was to soften the industrial look with gentle contours that recall the essence of handcrafted design, seen in the slight flaring of the pots and the ribbon-like handles attached to the bodies of the pans.
“This project”, says Urquiola, “is my response to the changes I observe in society, to the multiplication of fantastic exchanges between different cultures”. The designer’s Spanish roots lie in the shape of the lids: “I wanted it to be different from the others, concave rather than convex: a sort of Basque chapela. Once the Basque theme entered my head, I couldn’t get it out anymore. There is a pot that I particularly love [the milk boiler]. It represents the secret soul of the collection, this project’s kind side, it is the real Edo… its name is Edoardo!”
With outstanding thermal performance, dishwasher-safe Edo is made of stainless steel and aluminum with a non-stick interior and cast iron. The lids have a brown PVD finished detailing. Sixteen different pieces comprise the collection, including stockpots, casseroles, sauté pans, grill and wok.
A bright new accessory for the fall/winter collection is perfectly timed for the back-to-school season. Food à Porter is a stylish lunchbox designed by Sakura Adachi that brings a pop of colour and bento box-inspired design to midday meals on the go. As both lightweight carrier and fashion accessory, the name expresses both the object’s function and style-forward aesthetic.
The lunchbox is inspired by the traditional Japanese bento box where the lunch items are arranged in a measured and visually pleasing way; the lacquered objects recall traditional designs with alternating glossy and opaque surfaces on the box’s three stacked components.
Spacious inside yet compact in its overall design, the lunchbox contains three separate compartments divided by sealed lids, suitable for a variety of uses. Whether for sandwiches, yogurt, pasta or soup, the compartments adapt seamlessly to any kind of lunch or snack choice. The silicone handle is optional, and all of the containers are dishwasher and microwave safe. Food à Porter is available in three colours: red on red, light grey, and light blue with a pink band.
Returning to the collection this season is Colombina, a series originally designed and created by Doriana and Massimiliano Fuksas in 2007. Because of its popularity and success, it is being introduced in new colourations and textures. The entire collection stems from a series of declinations of a single basic shape: the rounded scalene triangle. The same shape makes its appearance again in the tray, which now comes in a smaller size for 2018 – produced in three different versions: polished stainless steel, black-coloured steel and granulated brass, an industrial interpretation of an ancient goldsmithing technique known as Etruscan granulation. And the flatware, which was fabricated only in stainless steel previously, is now available in a brass-coloured PVD coating. Flatware pieces include knife, fork, spoon and coffee spoon.
Masterful and minimalist British architect David Chipperfield first presented the Tonale tableware collection in 2009. Based on the principle of expressing the purity of shape with only subtle variations in neutral tones, he brought a deeply personal approach and a sense of refinement to everyday objects. To increase versatility, the collection has expanded to include several new products – a large bowl, pitcher, milk jug and cup. Complementing the pale muted shades of the original range is the introduction of a deep black finish, inspired by the chromatic intensity of Japanese lacquer.
For more information, please visit www.alessi.com.