ronan + erwan bouroullec: 'ovale' for alessi

'the ovale collection strives to be original, but it also wants to be rustic and traditional. we set out in pursuit
of delicate expression. this composition speaks about every day life, about breakfast, lunch, about everyone
getting together for dinner. there is a desire for simplicity.' then, ronan coined a new expression to describe alessi,
a likeness that appeals to me: 'alessi is very similar to the operation described in tim burton's movie adaptation
of willy wonka and the chocolate factory, a wonderful factory where alessi produces cakes and sweets.' says ronan.
delicate, slightly expressive, simple, almost neo-primitive, deliberately saying 'hold the sugar!', the complete
table service, 'ovale', marks the entry into the alessi catalogue of the two brothers from brittany. I am very grateful
to them not only for this beautiful project - with its subsidiary expressiveness, I'm sure it will find its way among
the major main course of our catalog - but also for having coined, defining a 'producer of sweet things', a phrase worthy
of philippe starck's definition in the 80s, 'alessi is a merchant of happiness.' - alberto alessi