Founded in 1921, Alessi has always stood out for the high quality of its products. In almost a century of history, the company has gradually evolved to become one of the leading 'Factories of Italian design', capable of applying its expertise and excellence in design management to many different product types. Open to change and international development, Alessi at the same time has a strong bond with the traditions and cultural background of its area. Alessis mission is now one of translating its quest for the most advanced cultural, aesthetic, design and functional quality into mass production. Designer products are the result of the constant reconciliation of art and industry, of the 'Immensity of Creative Potential' and the needs of the market. The company is committed to a design approach in which the most advanced expression of international creativity is always balanced against the desires of the general public. Alessi has been described as a 'Dream Factory', which uses its products to make peoples dreams come true, providing them with the Art and Poetry that they seek. Born in Paris in 1949, he is one of the most original and creative designers of our time. He has obtained many important acknowledgements such as the Grand Prix National de la Cration industrielle and the Honour Award of the American Institute of Architects, he considers himself as 'a Japanese architect, an American art director, a German industrial designer, a French artistic director, an Italian furniture designer'. A truly iconic object and symbol not only of Philippe Starck but of Alessi itself, this citrus squeezer - as revolutionary as it is surprisingly functional - was sketched in its essentials by Starck during a holiday by the sea in Italy, on a pizzeria napkin.