MILAN — Vienna-born, Milan-based Arthur Arbesser has been rolling up his sleeves in the furniture business with Austrian furniture firm Wittmann — and now, he’s expanding his playful aesthetic in the world of design.
On Tuesday, Arbesser was among the three talents from the worlds of fashion, graphic design and painting, along with Bergamo-based design agency Studio Temp and artist Fulvia Mendini, who were invited to reinterpret two corkscrews designed by Alessandro Mendini in 1994. The Anna G. corkscrew was manufactured by Alessi in chromed zamak and thermoplastic resin 30 years ago. Approximately 10 years later, Alessandro M. was born, a second corkscrew that completed the iconic couple. Fulvia Mendini is the daughter of Alessandro Mendini, who died in 2019.
An Arthur Arbesser sketch for Alessi.
Courtesy of Alessi
In April, Alberto Alessi, the grandson of Alessi founder Giovanni Alessi, unveiled the brand’s refresh at Milan Design Week. Today, Alessi is embracing experimentation and testing new materials and styles.
“Naturally I am a huge fan of Alessandro Mendini and of Alessi, which made it especially great to do my own spin on this iconic ‘couple’ (of bottle-openers). But I somehow also wanted to incorporate my other favorite Alessi pieces, so for example an ashtray became a collar, a bread basket a skirt and the lid of a coffee machine a hat,” Arbesser told WWD.
With an exhibition during Design Week, Alessi unveiled new projects by the Cypriot-born, London-based designer Michael Anastassiades, Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa with 102-year-old Japanese dyer Samiro Yunoki, and another with the influential Japanese design Studio Nendo — that further expand upon the brand’s imaginary world and set the tone for a new chapter.
A new, sleek Menhir coffee moka by Anastassiades is upcoming, and the Toru tea kettle by Studio Nendo, the Eugenia glassware, service wear by Naota Fukasawa and his Itsumo ceramics with Samiro Yunoki will be unveiled to highlight a more jovial yet clean and decisive design approach.
Tuesday, the brand unveiled a unique reinterpretation of two classics that were developed with the use of AlkiPaper, an innovative bio-composite material designed to have an ecologically responsible life cycle. The material was developed by Alkivio Srl Società Benefit, a start-up born from the collaboration between the Italian Institute of Technology and Novacart SpA, a world leader in the production of paper and cardboard items for confectionery and food use, Alessi said.
While his fashion line is still his focus, Arbesser has been diversifying in recent years. A roster of collaborations include a fabric collection with Wittmann, created with traditional Italian manufacturer Rubelli. The aesthete also teamed with Denmark-based firm Gubi for his Oca chair, made in collaboration with Italian artisan Alan Zinchi.
Arbesser joins a roster of designers delving into the world of home and interiors. Lars Nilsson — the Swedish-born designer whose fashion career included top positions at Bill Blass, Nina Ricci and Gianfranco Ferré, as well as behind-the-scenes roles at Christian Dior and Christian Lacroix — made news with his 2018 textile collection with Svenskt Tenn, and a Vandra Rugs collaboration before that.
Dirk Schönberger, best known for his time as creative director at Adidas from 2010 until 2018 and later global creative officer of luxury brand MCM, made a leap into furnishings with next-gen, comfort-centric brand Vetsak and will present his first furnishing pieces with Aspesi during design week here. In March, American designer Adam Lippes made his furniture debut with Oka.
The Toru Juicer by Nendo.
Beppe Bordel
On Tuesday, Alessi also presented designs such as a new Toru series electric toaster and electric citrus-squeezer designed by Nendo for Alessi, part of the the Toru series of stainless-steel electrical appliances, whose kettle was presented at the Salone del Mobile 2024. New proposals include Tsumiki lamps by Japanese design studio Medum and holiday gift sets like the Delight collection by Nika Zupanc.
Alessi’s rich history began 103 years ago with a brass and nickel silver sheet workshop and foundry and after the ’80s, the business became a home decor powerhouse that has woven its elegant spirit into everyday life. Over the decades, Alessi garnered international recognition for its envelope-pushing designs from architecture and design‘s most colorful icons — Ettore Sottsass, Aldo Rossi, Achille Castiglioni and Philippe Starck, among them.
