“Subversive, ethical, ecological, political, humorous… this is how I see my duty as a designer.” Philippe Starck, French designer.
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About his life
Philippe Starck, (born January 18, 1949, Paris, France), is a French designer known for his wide range of designs, including everything from interior design to household objects to boats to watches, who worked as an architect as well.
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Philippe Starck has a mission, a vision: his creation, whatever it may be, must improve the lives of as many people as possible. Starck believes this to be an almost poetic and political, rebellious and benevolent, pragmatic and subversive duty, that ought to be shared by everyone. He sums it up with his trademark humour, what’s set him apart from the very beginning:
No one has to be a genius, but everyone has to participate.
– Philippe Starck
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What are the main features of Starck’s style?
Starck developed an international reputation, on the basis of his wide range of industrial designs. Often displaying the same organic, fluid lines of his interiors, the varied products he designed on commission included boats for Bénéteau, mineral-water bottles for Glacier, kitchen appliances—notably the Juicy Salif juicer—for Alessi, toothbrushes for Fluocaril, luggage for Samsonite, “Urban Fittings” for Decaux, office furniture for Vitra, televisions for Thomson Multimedia, watches for Fossil, eyeglasses for Alain Mikli, and the Optical Mouse for Microsoft.
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Starck held a populist vision for design, one best achieved in his products, which were often sold at an affordable price points and through mass-market venues. Rejecting designs made simply for the sake of beauty or as a symbol of wealth, Starck hoped that his work would improve people’s lives by adding an element of humour and surprise to everyday acts, such as brushing one’s teeth or cooking. The designer himself was often featured in ads for his products, since his flamboyant, lighthearted personality reflected the message of his work.
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Interior Design
Philippe Starck has several restaurants to his credit: Bon (2000), Mori Venice Bar (2006) and Le Paradis du Fruit (2009) in France, and the notable launch of Katsuya in Los Angeles in 2006, the first in a series of Japanese restaurants. The A’trego opened in Cap d’Ail in 2011. He designed the interior and exterior of Ma Cocotte, a restaurant that launched in September 2012 at the Saint-Ouen flea market near Paris. In 2013, he designed Miss Ko, an Asian-centric concept restaurant in Paris.
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ARCHITECTURE
- Laguiole knife factory, Paris, France, 1988.
- Nani Nani building, Tokyo, Japan, 1989.
- Baron Vert building, Osaka, Japan, 1992.
- Asahi building, Tokyo, Japan, 1989.
- Ecole Nationale des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France, 1995.
- Bordeaux Airport air traffic control tower, Bordeaux, France, 1997.
- Sanderson Hotel, London, England, 2001.
- Incineration plant, Paris, France, 2004.
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Info sources:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Philippe-Starck
http://www.starck.com/en/about
http://www.notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2004-Q-Z/Starck-Philippe.html
