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The “normalcy” of these household objects has always struck
me. They weren’t just “normal” in the sense
that they were used everyday at home. They
were examples of an era of the consumer society
which was destined to disappear quickly: a time
I’d call pre-design, prior to the phenomenon of
Designer goods in all of our homes. Of course,
in a way, they were designed too. That is to say,
they were designed by: my dad (Carlo Alessi)
or still earlier, by the technicians of the product
development office (a.k.a “U.T.A.”, “Ufficio
Tecnico Alessi”), perhaps with the help of a
particularly authoritative salesman. But they
had two features that distinguish them from
contemporary design projects: they weren’t part
of a culture of glossy, designer products; and
they were heavily influenced by almost obsessive
attention to function, proper manufacturing
methods and production costs.
Alberto Alessi
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