VIS À VIS ashtray set, Alfredo Häberli (1997)

Argentinian born Alfredo Häberli is one of the top designers nowadays. As long as I can recall he's worked for BD Barcelona, Driade, Georg Jensen, Iittala, Lapalma, Luceplan, Moroso, Offecct, Ruckstuhl, Vitra or Zanotta. And in my collection there re several of his designs: three of the five JOE range glass jugs for Driade Store, the two ESSENCE jugs for Iittala, the melamine MORE OR LESS and VIS À VIS ashtrays , as well as the JIM desktray, for Driade Kosmo. In my opinion he's such a good designer, one of those who really understand shape and function and avoid useless and fashionable elements in his designs, one of those who understands the materials he designs for...

These VIS À VIS ashtrays I like specially because they remind me a lot of André Ricard's work. This design cannot be simple but it manages to be highly atractive. Where Ricard managed to get towers made out of stackable ashtrays, Häberli gets a box out of two simmilar ashtrays.

I also like the colour he gave to it. A nice shade of blue that's pretty elegant.