Alessi

Anna G. - Arborea Bottle opener plastic material / Alessandro Mendini, 1994 - Limited Edition

Collectors and design fans beware! Three brand-new, limited-edition decors for Italy's most famous corkscrew couple. Released in 1994, the Alessandro M. and Anna G. Bottle openers were created by the famous designer Alessandro Mendini (1931-2019). They immediately became best-sellers and are among Alessi's most emblematic products.

Anna G. and Alessandro M. are adorned with three unique decors designed by renowned artists from the world of fashion, graphics and art: Fluvia Mendini, Studio Temp and Arthur Arbesser. These original decors bring a new lustre to these cult design objects. These future collectors' items are dedicated to collectors passionate about unique objects and eternal admirers of Alessandro Mendini's work.

To celebrate the Bottle opener created by her father Alessandro, Fulvia Mendini imagined a fairy tale set in a forest of oaks, where characters dance in search of desires and secrets. The result is a new Dress-arbre, an eye-catching motif that enhances the delicate design of these iconic Corkscrews. Oak leaves and foliage are brought together in this set, forming a plant-like outfit in green and pink tones. I imagined Anna G. and Alessandro M. as fairytale characters living in the enchanted forest of William Shakespeare's play ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''. Clad in leaves, they float above the meadows between fairy flowers, dancing in a festive round, in an eternal quest for secrets and hidden desires. '' Fulvia Mendini

Studio Temp's creative trio draws inspiration from street art to offer a contemporary interpretation of Alessandro Mendini's Corkscrews. The graphics, imbued with the urban universe, reflect a personal imprint blending signage and data protection. In homage to the father of a designer radiologist, phosphorescent elements appear in the dark, creating a surprising juxtaposition of references and memories.

In the Parade version, the Bottle opener is enriched with geometric patterns and bright colors that give the 'character' a new look, clearly inspired by the artistic and architectural influences of Vienna, the hometown of fashion designer Arthur Arbesser.

Alberto Alessi explains: "Hybridization is the blending of different cultures and disciplines. It seems to me that hybridization is a fundamental dimension of the design practice of Alessandro Mendini, who always liked to open his horizon to the influence of different fields. As for Anna G. and Alessandro M., both of whom have been dressed in a multitude of different ways over the years, these new versions play again on hybridization, combining the world of ''cultivated'' design with ornamental excesses drawn from different fields such as fashion or street art.''

These new versions are made from Chromed zamac and Alkipaper, an innovative biocomposite material developed to guarantee an ecologically sustainable life cycle. The body is adorned with a hand-applied Wall light transfer. This Corkscrews represents a perfect combination of design, functionality and respect for the environment.

In detail:

• Variation : Arborea / Red

• Brand : Alessi

• Designer : Alessandro Mendini - Fulvia Mendini

• Type : Bottle opener

• Colour : Red

• Material : Body in thermoplastic resin, decorated with a hand-applied transfer - Mechanism in Chromed zamac and Laminate steel

• Dimensions : Ø 7 x H 24.5 cm
• Weight : 0.88 lb
• Characteristics : Created in 1994 by Alessandro Mendini (1931-2019) - Design icon - Limited edition 2024 with Arborea design by Fulvia Mendini (daughter of Alessandro Mendini).