Alessi Slam Dunk It!

Alessi pulls it out of the bag... again!


It is with sheer delight that I am writing about the infamous brand Alessi today. At Panik Design Alessi is one of our all time guilty pleasures and their new product release does not disappoint! Their new 3909 Kettle has the ultimate allure. By celebrating American design and sports culture the 3909 basketball Kettle is a revival of the original 9093 Hob Kettle and honours the memory of the late fashion designer Virgil Abioh.

Originally created by Michael Graves in 1985 the little bird shaped whistle cap has become an iconic piece of 20th century design history and is now recognised as a collector's piece. Rumour has it that back in 1980 Alberto Alessi asked 11 of the world's best architects to create a solid silver tea service that would be sold in art galleries. Michael Graves design stole the show by fitting the kettle spout with a bird shaped whistle cap that tweets when the water boils! Alberto Alessi describes his great pleasure in the creative genius behind this design: "As a designer, Michael was one of our heroes between 1980 and 1990. He knew how to create best-sellers that harmonised with a huge audience. This American powerhouse brought a truly stimulating breath of fresh air to European design. Thinking about it, I can still see Ettore Sottsass telling me, as he looked at the prototype for this kettle: "It takes a lot of courage to design a piece like that!" The change almost caused a revolution for one of Michael Grave's most famous projects, emphasising almost 30 years of constant success since 1986. This 1980s star soars well beyond the circle of "design addicts"…

Reborn by Virgil Abloh the redesign of the original 9093 classic blends new cultural ingredients. Released as a numbered edition of 9.999 pieces the 3909 kettle combines culture, sports and aesthetics. The original whistle has been completely remade taking the form of a basketball player slam dunking the basket! If I could sum up the 3909 kettle in one word it would be FUN! Sold as a special edition this is a really playful addition to your kitchenware!

Let the Ring be your Thing with the Alessi 3909 Virgil Abloh Basketball Kettle!