All the best

One book, many stories. Stories of objects that have changed our lives. All the best memories, smells, and stories, the best affections and recollections that objects bring with them. In her new book published by Longanesi, Chiara Alessi takes us through the history and origins of a selection of objects – all strictly Made in Italy – with trivia and anecdotes about them. Together they could form a museum, but also a home. In other words, they are interconnected with our collective history and are part of all our lives. There are free Mulino Bianco surprises, chocolate kisses, telephones, stackable chairs, playing balls and marbles, citrus juicers, armchairs – anonymous or designer objects, all illustrated by Paolo d’Altan. The 74 objects also include the story of the creation of the famous Vibram soles for mountain boots, made possible by the passion of Vitale Bramani and his friend Leopoldo Pirelli, who managed to find the right material: vulcanised rubber. And, of course, Pirelli’s “Una P-Fionda” slingshot logo, the creation of which was described in 1958 in Pirelli magazine by the writer Vittorio Sereni, who worked in Pirelli’s communications and press office from 1952 to 1958. The story of the Milanese company’s highly successful logo is also that of the fruitful relationship between industry and intellectuals, between the world of production and that of poetry; it is the story of the design and communication of everyday objects “for the convenience of life today” as an advertising slogan by Sereni himself put it: from Roberto Menghi’s polyethylene containers and Bruno Munari’s toys, to raincoats and hot water bottles. A Long P that became an emblem of technical development and progress, a multifaceted, high-performance, inflatable P. Enjoy the read – and all the best!   Tante Care Cose Chiara Alessi Longanesi, 2020