Philippe Starck
Philippe Starck is probably the best known designer in the New Design style. His designs range from spectacular interior designs to mass produced consumer goods such as toothbrushes, chairs, and even houses.
He was educated at the Ecole Nissim de Camondo, Paris and founded his first design firm in 1968, specialising in inflatable objects. In 1969, he became art director of his firm along with Pierre Cardin. Starck has worked independently as an interior designer and as a product designer since 1975.
Starck's career took off in 1982 when he designed the interior for the private apartments of the then French President François Mitterrand. His most recent projects have include a mouse for Microsoft, yachts, watches, glasses and even new packaging for a beer company. He has also been commissioned to design the Virgin Galactic "spaceport" in New Mexico.
Unlike most other New Design artists, Starck's work does not concentrate on the creation of a provocative and expensive single piece. Instead his product designs are of usable household items which Starck himself helps to market for mass production. His products are often stylised, streamlined and organic in their look and are also constructed using unusual combinations of materials (such as glass and stone, plastic and aluminium, plush fabric and chrome, etc.). One of these designs includes the LUX STARCK collection.
Starck lives in four different cities; Paris for public relations, New York where he does most of his technical work, Burano (Italy) where he works also and London.
