Following its debut at Salone del Mobile earlier this year, the duo now celebrate the official launch of its Poêle Collection in Paris
Photography by Pietro Cocco
Drawing on Alessi’s heritage in metalwork, the brand’s latest collection Poêle (French for “pan”) realised in collaboration with French designer Philippe Starck, pays homage to the Italian label’s metalworking legacy, which began in 1921.
Founded in Omegna in 1921 by Giovanni Alessi, the company has produced thousands of objects since its founding, many of which have become icons of design. From its playful 9093 kettle to the minimalist Juicy Salif to the Pulcina espresso coffee maker, Alessi has collaborated with over three hundred world famous designers and architects.
The firm’s most recent debut, the Poêle Collection, was showcased at Salone del Mobile earlier this year as part of the Ars Metallica exhibition at the historical Palazzo Borromeo d’Adda in Milan. The first furniture design created for Alessi by long-term collaborator, Philippe Starck, Poêle transforms metal into stunning objects of design.
Photography by Pietro Cocco
Comprising a chair, an armchair, a coat hanger and a stool in two different sizes, the collection pays homage to Alessi’s technological work and expertise in metal: the Poêle Chair, for instance, is made using modernised traditional cold-press metal technology dating from the 1950s, and nods to the company’s origins.
‘It has always been a dream of mine to enter the world of furniture,’ shares Alberto Alessi, President of Alessi. ‘I have been trying to make a chair with Philippe Starck for around 20 years now and, finally, we did it. I asked him if it was possible to design a chair that is manufactured like a frying pan, using Alessi’s cold-press metal technology.’
As such, the Poêle Chair comes in a stainless steel mirror or mat finish, with or without armests, and in brown dye beech wood. There are other options available too, including a monoshell chair in stainless steel that’s coloured with epoxy resin in black or white, and armrests in natural dye beech wood.
Photography by Pietro Cocco
‘The Poêle Chair started as a serious joke, with a sketch of a pan with legs and the great idea of adapting existing high-technology to different purposes,’ adds Starck. ‘The seat and back inspired by a frying pan, legs as handles; the Poêle Chair elegantly incarnates humour and technology.’
Meanwhile, the low and high stool feature a stainless steel mirror finish, and the collection’s striking Poêle Hanger is finished in a brown dye beech wood and chrome-plated metal mirror.
The result is a modern collection that makes these pieces especially fitting in contemporary settings, but that is not to say these exquisite designs won’t work in other interiors either. Poêle’s clean lines and minimalist finishes make this collection a classic for years to come.
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