During the last Salone del Mobile, Alias presented the restyling of two cult designer chairs: the historic Spaghetti chair by Giandomenico Belotti and the award-winning Laleggera chair by Riccardo Blumer. These two iconic pieces of design now include an extraordinary new feature which gives them a touch of refinement and exclusivity: leather finishes.
But Alias didn’t stop there. Instead, in order to amaze the public, they revived the two projects with redesigns by a modern maestro, Mario Botta: the Prima chair and the Robot drawer cabinet. These two timeless reissued works are now available to everyone in the Lombard company’s catalog.
Alias = Something Else: innovation and originality in design
Alias, a design brand founded in 1979, has always set itself apart with its innovation and originality. Its story began with the famous “Spaghetti chair” by Giandomenico Belotti, which was Alias’ first creation to be included in the MoMa collection in New York (together with the “second” chair by Mario Botta).
Alias has always put an emphasis on creativity and functionality, transcending temporary trends and inquisitively searching for new interpretations. The brand has never been satisfied with following what’s in style or making easy choices; instead, it has always looked for Something Else.
The three designer chairs: Prima, Laleggera and Spaghetti chair
The Prima, Spaghetti Chair and LaLeggera designer chairs by Alias are genuine icons of contemporary design. These unique creations stand out for their extraordinary look, impeccable functionality, and shocking innovations—qualities which have made them world famous.
Let’s take a look at the history and recent updates to these three chairs which have left an indelible mark on the design landscape.
Prima chair by Mario Botta
An authentic designer icon, Prima is a chair which offers timeless beauty. Created in 1982, this masterpiece is a piece of work from the renowned Swiss architect Mario Botta who is famous for his austere and minimalist architecture. The chair was designed to exist within the various interiors of his architectural projects and was inspired by the archetypal forms of Euclidean geometry.
Prima has been reissued with the classic textured black finish and some captivating glossy finishes which provide a contemporary touch. Faithful to its original project, Prima includes a steel structure and a seat in steel pierced foil with a backrest which includes its trademark cylindrical elements in black polyurethane.
Laleggera Hide Leather chair by Riccardo Blumer
A winner of the prestigious ADI Compasso d’Oro, the Laleggera chair can be found exhibited in some of the most important museums in the world like the MoMA in New York, the Centre George Pompidou in Paris and the Triennale di Milano. Its global success as a designer chair is certainly connected with its lightness and one-of-a-kind design which comes thanks to a specific technology used in its production. La Laggera uses a production process which is similar to the one used in the construction of gliders: a box structure in wood with an internal support in injected polyurethane.
The Hide Leather edition, in the chair and chair+ versions, utilizes the seating range from the collection designed by Riccardo Blumer. This version stands out for its front cover in leather which comes in elegant colors: black, dark brown, and natural.
Spaghetti Chair by Giandomenico Belotti
The renowned Spaghetti Chair was the first designer chair that got Alias’ production started way back in 1979. With a steel tubular structure, this collection includes chairs, armchairs, and stools and offers amazing tactile and visual experiences.
In its reissue, the hide leather covers the seat and backrest of the chairs and stools (except for the stackable version with armrests). Moreover, the entire collection has been enhanced by a new glossy finish which is available in six contemporary colors and embellished with four brass shell caps to close the tubular structure. These chairs are true masterpieces of minimalism and combine a superior level of practicality with discrete and timeless elegance.
