The story behind the quirky Anna G

With her charming smile, retro hairstyle and greeting arms, the curvy Anna G corkscrew has charmed customers with her irresistible charisma since 1994, when Alessi launched the first Anna G corkscrew.

In the first year, 20,000 copies of the Anna G corkscrew were sold, and today, more than 1.5 million corkscrews have been sold worldwide.

Designer Alessandro Mendini was inspired by his friend and fellow designer Anna Gil. “I remembered from my childhood when my grandmother opened a bottle of wine at the table, it always seemed like a good show – a kind of ritual. Turning the head, moving the arms up and down, the clink of the cap.” says Mendini. “I thought I was drawing a ballerina, just a figure of a woman, but it was obvious that I had unconsciously drawn a portrait of Anna. It was the president of the company, Alberto Alessi, who noticed the similarities – the hairstyle and the long neck – and suggested the name Anna G for the product.”

The success of the corkscrew surprised Mendin and inspired him to create a family of products, including Alessandro M and Parrot corkscrews, which together with Anna G remain bestsellers today.

A selection from the legendary Anna G collection in Lartus:

Alessandro M collection: