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Anselmo (Nini) Vitale was born in Milan in 1929; he graduated from the Istituto Universitario di Architettura in Venice, where he met Carlo Mazzeri, with whom he started collaborating in 1961 on the design of the Alessi company’s Avio line. With the Alessi technical office in particular, the collaboration culminated in the creation of the thermal-insulation ice bucket that won the Macef prize in 1971. Together with Carlo Mazzeri he created Standard, a professional industrial design studio, designing white goods and household articles. He died prematurely in 1978 at the height of his career as an architect and designer.

Born in Oleggio (Novara) in 1927, Carlo Mazzeri graduated in architecture from the Istituto Universitario di Architettura in Venice in 1956. In 1957 he designed the cocktail shaker 870 with Luigi Massoni, which is still in production and can be found in bars worldwide. In the ‘60s and ‘70s with Anselmo Vitale he designed a complete collection of objects for Alessi for use in the hotel industry. He was involved in civil and industrial construction, responsible among other things for the Alessi plant in Omegna (1960-1971). In 1973 he opened a studio of architecture in Novara, becoming involved in civil architecture, restoration and town planning.