Princeton, New Jersey, USA & London, UK
Alessis’ famous kettle, designed by Michael Graves, has a legendary status in design history. Now the Italian brand selected Virgil Abloh for a re-design, wanting to present the kettle as a new icon.
The result is a blend of various cultural facets: the fusion of basketball and its multicultural imagery, which is an integral part of Abloh’s personal history, with the world of design and its codified references.
3909 kettle has been awarded a 2023 Good Design Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
The iconic whistle is completely redesigned, taking the form of a basketball player who crushes with power to the basket, while the colors of the handle and the knob are lit with an intense purple.
Virgil Abloh Securities manages to present a surprising new object that absorbs and elaborates its references while multiplying them.
The postmodernism of Michael Graves clashes with the inclusive approach of Virgil Abloh addressing the audience in an expressly cross-cultural way.
The 3909 kettle is in 18/10 stainless steel with a handle and whistle in PA, purple. Magnetic steel bottom suitable for induction cooking.
Project: 3909 Kettle
Designer: Michael Graves Architecture and Virgil Abloh Securities
Lead Designer: Michael Graves and Virgil Abloh
Manufacturer: Alessi S.p.A.