Crusinallo (NO), Italy
“I found that Virgil had a completely different way to look at things and objects, so when he looked at the world of Alessi, it was through the eyes of one who loved the idea of a mechanical workshop,” states Alberto Alessi.
“I remember the first reference he showed me was a wrench, very far from what we habitually think of design – it was almost brutalist.”
“Alas, we had very little time to make our collection with Virgil, but I am so glad we did.”
A new approach to designing tableware, Virgil Abloh and his London-based studio Alaska Alaska’s Occasional Object for Alessi is a new stainless-steel cutlery set consisting of a spoon, fork, knife, and a carabiner to attach all three together, either in the context of a new way of setting the table or as a means of attaching these utensils to the body.
Named “Occasional Object,” this tableware collection intends to offer a new perspective on the tools we use to eat with.
The collaboration between Abloh and Alessi came about just over a year ago when the late designer reached out to Alberto Alessi to suggest they joined forces.
“Virgil thought of Alessi as the best in class, not only in terms of its design history but also because of the caliber of the artists and designers it had worked with in the past. This provided Virgil with the perfect context to actualize this project amongst great companies,” states Tawanda Chiweshe, creative director of Alaska Alaska.
The spoon’s edge is squared off, while the fork’s spokes are split into two sets of two.
The Occasional Object collection bears a resemblance to cutlery more typically found in camping packs or even toolboxes, rather than upon restaurant tables – but this was something that, according to Alessi, Abloh intentionally wanted to represent.
Project: Occasional Object
Designers: Alaska Alaska
Lead Designer: Virgil Abloh
Manufacturer: Alessi SpA
Photographers: Luca Rotondo
