ESSENTIAL AND ARCHETYPAL: THE WIRE BASKET

A true industrial archetype of metal household items, wire baskets are amongst the oldest of Alessi’s products that are still in production. Designed by the internal Technical office, they are a fine example of collective design work, which have survived the many fashions and many moods of the market. Entirely produced in Italy in the Crusinallo factory, their success continues unabated all over the world.

In the second half of the 1940s, Alessi developed a group of objects, born from the technological research on bent metal wire. Alessandro Mendini describes these objects as 'ambivalent', designed for the needs of hotel service, and excellent for private use and as gifts. After more than 70 years, these baskets have stood the test of time thanks to their very basic approach and their dynamism in adapting both to a special table setting and to the everyday table.

Discover the iconic wire baskets
826_01.jpg
826_02.jpg
826
Round wire basket
From $100.00
829_01.jpg
829_02.jpg
829
Oval wire basket
$180.00
845_01.jpg
845_02.jpg
845
Square wire basket
$180.00
370_01.jpg
370_022.jpg
370
Citrus basket
From $170.00

ELEGANT AND MINIMAL

The topicality of the wire basket, however, is not due to a nostalgic feeling, but rather to the recognition of the consistency of its image that succinctly expresses the taste characteristics of the 1950s. These baskets are icons of an industrial production governed by an almost obsessive attention to function, correct execution and manufacturing costs. And it was precisely this attention to quality and cost that led the Ufficio Tecnico Alessi to design the elegant and characteristic 'hairpins', when the basket began to be manufactured in stainless steel.