Philippe Starck

PHILIPPE STARCK (Paris, 1949) for Alessi.
Desk accessory for letters "Liberté", 1992.
Bakelite plastic imitating wood and green hard silicone.
Stamp on the base.
Measurements: 9 x 23 x 17 cm.
Philippe Starck is a French industrial designer recognized worldwide for the functionality of his designs as much as for their aesthetics. He is a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters of France, and has won international awards such as the Interior Architecture Award or the Auszeichnung für hohe Designqualität, among others. Philippe Starck told Casa Vogue, "My concept of democratic design is based on the following idea: to give quality pieces at affordable prices to the greatest number of people. To lower the price and increase the quality. It's my political conscience." In 1969, Starck designed an inflatable structure, based on the idea of materiality, which reflected his initial interest in living spaces. Not long after, Pierre Cardin, seduced by iconoclastic design, offered him the position of artistic director at his publishing house. In 1970, Philippe Starck founded his first industrial design company, Starck Product, later renamed Ubik after Philip K. Dick's famous novel. Here he began working with the major design manufacturers in Italy, Driade, Alessi, Kartell, and others throughout Europe, Drimmer in Austria, Vitra in Switzerland and Disform in Spain, for example. In 1983, then French President François Mitterrand, on the recommendation of his Minister of Culture, Jack Lang, chose Starck to renovate the president's private apartments at the Élysée. The following year he designed the Café Costes. Over the years, Starck worked with top Italian furniture brands, including the creation of the iconic Generic chair for Kartell, the innovative Lady Hio table for Glass Italia and elegant sofas and armchairs for the likes of Cassina and Driade. Starck has won prestigious awards such as the "Oscar du luminaire" (1980), the Silver Delta Award (1986), the Platinum Circle (1987), the Grand Prix National de la Création Industrielle (1988), the Interior Architecture Award (1990), the Twelfth Annual Interiors Award (1991), the Good Design Award (1995, 2000), the Auszeichnung für hohe Designqualität (1998) and the German Ranking Design Award (2000), among others. In 1985, he was also made a knight of the French Order of Arts and Letters.