- Art & Design
Philippe Starck is no stranger to the design world. He will soon be celebrating his 71st birthday and has proven in his decades of career that he is truly at home in all markets. In addition to furniture, he has already designed (electric) bicycles, yachts, tableware, glasses, watches and even entire hotels and restaurants. Still, most people know him as a designer of chairs and other seating furniture and even though you may not realise it, you have probably already seen quite a few of his creations.
Starck sees himself as a designer of 'democratic design'. According to him, the task of design is to improve people's lives and this idea is mainly expressed in his furniture designs. For example, there is the 'Costes' chair, designed for a Paris cafe, which has only three legs so that there was less tripping danger for the staff. The unique design of the 'Lou Think' (just like 'Costes' designed for furniture brand Driade) came from the idea of giving extra protection to the most important part of the human body: the brain, because this is where our dreams are born. 
Philippe Starck's designs are also a reflection of society, which makes them all the more relevant and timeless. For example, the 'Masters' chair for Kartell is based on three earlier masterpieces: the 'Series 7 Chair' by Arne Jacobsen, the 'Tulip Armchair' by Eero Saarinen and the 'Eiffel Chair' by Charles Eames. By placing the arm and back rests of these three on top of each other, a new masterpiece was created. Another thing that cannot be ignored in the 21st century is artificial intelligence. Starck also responds cleverly to this. Together with Kartell and software company Autodesk, he went in search of a design that would answer to this new world. The 'A.I.' series is the result of creative thinking and artificial intelligence. On the basis of a few important parameters (comfort, sturdiness, clean aesthetics) a unique form was created that opens the door to endless possibilities for the future. 
It is inspiring to see how someone who has already introduced many iconic designs to the design world continues to explore the role of design in our lives and how these can always be improved. 
Images courtesy of STARCK®
Headerphoto: Masters (Kartell)
Images from top to bottom, left to right:
1: Louis Ghost (Kartell)
2: Volage EX-S (Cassina)
3: A.I. For Kartell by Starck Powered by Autodesk (Kartell)
4: Cara (Kartell)
5: Masters (Kartell)
6: Costes Chair (Driade)
7: Lou Think (Driade)
8: Out-In (Driade)
9: Volage EX-S (Cassina)