Who is Philippe Starck?

Designer Philippe Starck — with no pretty slides to show — spends 18 minutes reaching for the very roots of the question “Why design?” Listen carefully for one perfect mantra for all of us, genius or not. This talk was presented at an official TED conference, and was featured by our editors on the home page.

How did Philippe Starck get his start in the inflatable furniture business?

Typically for Starck, he wished to work on something cutting edge so he started a company in 1968 that specialized in designing inflatable furniture. The company did not go very far but it succeeded in getting his work out in the public eye. Starck’s eye was very natural.

Why is Philippe Starck redesigning the world?

Perhaps this is one of the reasons his son, Philippe, is accustomed to redesigning our world. The young Starck started to show signs of an unusual eye for design from an early age. He played in his father’s large workshop, which was filled with machinery, engines and spare parts that were irresistible to a curious boy.

Is Starck an architect or designer?

Although he considers himself no more an architect than designer, in the early 1980s Philippe Starck designed several buildings in Japan, with forms previously unseen. The first was in Tokyo, completed in 1989, and is striking in its originality.

IN COLLABORATION WITH PHILIPPE STARCK. Philippe Starck may be the world’s most celebrated and influential designer.

What is Axor Starck V?

V FOR VORTEX. AXOR Starck V encapsulates the wonder of water in motion. The mixer body has been specially designed to sculpt water into a swirling vortex. Transparent yet visible, constant yet ever-changing, the vortex spins and dances. As water pours down the open spout, into waiting hands, one has the sense of experiencing a miracle.

Who is Jean-Yves Starck?

His range of design is impressive by any standard. During Starck’s 25–year career, he has applied his unique sense of design to everything from a waste management center in Paris to international hotels to paper towel dispensers.

Born in 1949 in Paris, designer Philippe Starck has been described as a provocateur, a defender of democratic design, and “ a superstar on the French design scene .” It’s said that as a child, Starck slept under the drafting table of his father, who was an inventor and aeronautics engineer.

Who is Jean-Paul Starck?

Born January 18, 1949, in Paris, France; son of André (an airplane designer) and Jacqueline (Lanourisse) Starck; married Brigitte Laurent (died, 1992); married Nori Vaccari, April, 2000; children: Ara (first marriage), Oa (with photographer Patricia Bailer), K. (second marriage). Education: Studied in Ecole Nissim de Camondo in Paris, France.