Designed for Alessi, the Toyo Ito Cutlery collection is extremely dainty and elegant.
Inspired by his career, Japanese architect Toyo Ito focused on shape when creating this dishware series. The handles are very thin and long, very much resembling chopsticks, and have six paneled sides that are uniform to all the pieces in the set. The ends of the handles have a hexagonal shape, which inspired the name 'Mu' for the collection which is Japanese for hexagon. Along with elegantly curving forks, blunt-tipped butter knives and widened spoons, this set of utensils also features equally rounded salad servers, ladles and serving spoons and forks.
It is intriguing to note how the curvacious lines at the top part of the Toyo Ito Cutlery gradually turn into hexagons.
Hexagonal Serving Utensils
The Tokyo Ito Cutlery Collection Focuses on Shape and Structure
Trend Themes
1. Hexagonal Utensils - The use of hexagonal shapes in utensil design offers a disruptive innovation opportunity to create unique and visually appealing cutlery collections.
2. Dainty and Elegant Dishware - The trend towards dainty and elegant dishware presents an opportunity for manufacturers to create delicate and stylish utensil collections that enhance the dining experience.
3. Architectural Influence in Utensil Design - Incorporating architectural elements into utensil design, such as the thin and long handles inspired by chopsticks in the Toyo Ito Cutlery collection, opens up new possibilities for creative and functional cutlery.
Industry Implications
1. Kitchenware - The kitchenware industry can explore the use of hexagonal shapes and architectural influences in utensil design to create innovative and unique products that cater to consumers' desire for stylish and functional cutlery.
2. Fine Dining - In the fine dining industry, there is an opportunity to offer customers high-end, dainty, and elegant dishware collections that enhance the overall dining experience by incorporating architectural elements and unique shapes in utensil design.
3. Home Decor - The home decor industry can tap into the trend of dainty and elegant dishware by offering aesthetically pleasing and stylish utensil collections that not only serve a functional purpose but also act as decorative pieces for the dining table.