11 design icons for less than 5 euros

When gifting a Camparisoda, you are gifting a Depero. In 1932 in fact, the Second Futurism artist Fortunato Depero conceived a bottle for the new aperitivo drink created by Milanese entrepreneur Davide Campari, an object that would soon become an icon. (photo Archivio Domus) Camparisoda, 1,90€ 

The red-white packaging, and the gold medal won at Paris International Exhibition in 1900, are undoubtedly unmistakable; but for sure the interpretations started by Andy Warhol in 1962 are the one reason allowing you to gift one of the most famous art subjects worldwide, by buying a  3,69-euro canned soup. (photo via campbells.com)
Campbell’s Tomato Soup 3,69€ 

A common word in the Larousse French vocabulary since 30 years, and more recently listed between the 999 Phaidon Design Classics, the Opinel is the legendary pocket knife created in the French Alps by the experimentations of Joseph Opinel, now a part of the design permanent collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum in Lodon (photo via opinel.com)
Opinel N°02 Carbone, 6,80€ 

The Sleek spoon was created in origin by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni as an advertising object to be sold together with the Kraft mayonnaise jars. Its peculiar shape was designed to better and thoroughly wipe the interior surface of jars, and Alessi has restarted the production in 1996 thus consecrating such smart and ergonomic design. It is the most expensive item in this list, with its price reaching the 8,50 euros peak. (photo via alessi.com)
Sleek, Alessi, 8,50€ 

The “wave” by Alvar Aalto, designed in 1936, an award-winning creation at the Paris Exhibition one year later, an icon of Scandinavian design, and Aalto’s signature as godfather of organic design, has since then been produced by Iittala in a famous glass vase collection, but it can also become the shape to give to your everyday cookies . (photo via iittala.com)
Iittala Alvar Aalto Collection, 5,50€ 

In 1961 Enzo Mari created the animals and fruits of the famous screenprint series La serie della natura. Today these legendary graphics are still produced by the Milan-based design manufacturer, also in the shape of A6 notebooks in P di Pigna paper and Singer binding thread. (photo via danesemilano.com)
Danese A6 notebook, 5,00€  

Which is the project Achille Castiglioni was most proud of? Apparently, the one with which he had been able to enter almost all houses worldwide. In 1968 in fact he designed for the Italian manufacturer VLM, together with his brother Pier Giacomo, a domestic electric switch that could be placed halfway on the wire, characterized by refined and essential aesthetics, and a very affordable price, that made it one of the most widespread objects of the so-called anonymous design (despite being “branded”); for such reasons, the rompitratta switch has been included in the collection of Triennale Desing Museum in Milan, and sometimes given as a gift on the occasion of exhibitions dedicated to the Castiglioni brothers. (photo Francesco Spadetto, cc by-sa 4.0)
Rompitratta switch, 1,75€ 

Straight out of the copy editing world (to correct and annotate) and the school world (correct and correct), probably the most common object to express two distinct contents through one single tool, the  red-blue pencil has often rolled through the designers’ desks, used for sketching, and it remains in its simplicity one of the fundamentals of creative work. (photo via fabrianoboutique.it)
Fabriano  red-blue pencil, 3,00€ 

The Waiter’s Friend, the single-lever corkscrew, was patented in 1882, in Rostock, by Karl F.A. Wienke. Since then it has become one of the absolute foundations of anonymous design, its patent being constantly reinterpreted, reproduced and developed, thus also surviving the appearance of the double-lever corkscrew in 1930 and remaining constant in his office as a companion to the rituals of drinking. (photo and editing Haragayato, cc by-sa 3.0)
Waiter’s Friend, 3,50€ 

Another milestone in anonymous design is the whistle that John Hudson patented in 1884, one year after registering the Metropolitan Whistle for the British police. The Acme Thunderer was designed to be used by football referees, its sound had therefore to be heard above loud background noises, and for such reason a small cork sphere was added at its interior, to generate its peculiar warble. Still in use in stadiums nowadays, the Thunderer is listed among the Phaidon Design Classics.
ACME Thunderer, 2,50€ 

Produced in Calabria, Southern Italy, since 1731, an inspiring subject for the illustrations in late 18^th century Voyage Pittoresque by the abbot of Saint-Non, the licorice tablets created by baron Amarelli, in their metal boxes and historical lettering, have been selected by Fattobene, the archive of Italian everyday design icons, and landed last years in the Fattobene pop-up corners at the MoMA Stores. (photo via amarelli.it)
Liquirizia Amarelli, 4,25€