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 Indianapolis, he teaches architecture in Princeton since 1962. His architectural works include the Portland Building and the Humana Building, the extension of the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Newark Museum. He created the best-selling 9093 kettle for Alessi. Michael Graves died in 2015. This celebrated kettle with the bird that sings when the water has boiled was a great success when it was introduced in 1985, and for Alessi it represented a meeting of great design and mass production methods, a combination that Michael Graves worked hard to achieve, applying his personal visual code which fused influences from Art Deco to Pop Art and even the language of cartoons.