Simber Zaman

Profile of an Industrial Designer: Philippe Starck

Philippe Starck born on January 18th 1949, Paris France, began his career in the 1980s
for his interior, product, industrial and architectural design. His designs include furniture and
objects that have simple, but inventive structures.
The son of an aeronautical engineer, Philippe studied at the cole Camondo in Paris,
where he first imagined an inflatable structure in 1969 which was an early indicator as to what
Starcks interest lied in. Due to his incredible designs, this brought him to the attention of Pierre
Cardin, who offered him a job as artistic designer of his publishing house.
While working for Cardin, Philippe set up his first industrial company- Starck Productwhich he later renamed to Ubik. He began expanding include furniture, decoration, architecture,
bathroom fittings, kitchens, floor and wall coverings, lighting, domestic appliances, and office
equipment such as staplers.
For the past three decades, Starck has been designing hotels all over the world including
the Royalton in New York, Delano in Miami, and Mondrian in Los Angeles. He also has many
restaurants that he has opened including Mori Venice Bar, and Le Paradis du Fruit in France. In
November 2012, Philippe published his first book, Impression d'Ailleurs, in which he expresses
his view of the challenges facing the world to come, and as a humanist, suggest several ways in

which we can make a difference.

Philippe Starck Designs

This iconic seat was produced in 2002,
constructed from translucent, injection
molded polycarbonate. More than a
million of these chairs have been sold.

Starcks reinterpretation of the pocket

knife has a very sleek, clean and simple
look to it (1986).