Alessi: Fun Design for Everyone

Alberto Alessi always dreamed of becoming an architect. Instead, he joined the family firm—upscale Italian homewares company Alessi—and did the next best thing: hired them. In his 36 years as CEO, Alberto has tapped some of world's best known architects, transforming Alessi from a manufacturer of boring stainless steel tableware into a design powerhouse. "Architects are our source of inspiration," says Alberto.

It was Alberto's desire to "do something a little less boring" that brought the brand into the avant garde. Founded in 1921 by Alberto's grandfather Giovanni, the business began as metalworks factory, manufacturing basic copper, brass, and nickel-plated tableware. But Alberto's decision to enlist some of the world's best-known artists and architects including Salvador Dali, Michael Graves, Aldo Rossi, and Philippe Starck helped Alberto and the company turn everyday household items into attention-grabbing works of art—albeit at tabletop scale.