French designer Philippe Starck
has many talents and is mostly know for his designs, you could say, from beds to engines and from watches to chairs, lighting and accessories: there is almost no product that Philippe Starck hadn't put his mind and hands on. Needless to say very successful and Starck has received many prices over the years for a large and diverse collection of designs. Never the less and always busy, this year he presented the 'Masters Stool' for
Kartell at
Salone del Mobile during Milan Design Week 2012. And the iconic Italian maker of fine furniture has given rock star Lenny Kravitz free reign on an upholstery update of the Mademoiselle chair originally designed also for Kartell by and one of his own designs and recently released. B
ut it wont stop here, Philippe Starck has been in recent years involved with multiple large-scale hotel projects as well. It seems that Starck cant be stopt in his design plan to take over the world.
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| Original chair version of the design presented at salone del mobile 2009 |
First the New Masterchair, in collaboration with
Eugeni Quitllet, created for the furniture manufacturer
Kartell. The frame of 'Masters Chair', upon which the new stool design is based’ is a combination of three iconic furniture pieces. A redevelopment of the 2009
Masters Chair, the stool version includes a smaller seat and longer legs, elevating it from a dining chair into a barstool. In doing so, he wove together three silhouettes by mid century masters:
Eero Saarinen’s Tulip chair,
Charles and Ray Eames’s Eiffel chair and
Arne Jacobsen’s Series 7 chair. His explanation? “Quantum mathematicians teach us that we are merely the sum of our actions,” Mr. Starck said, noting that the chair’s “historical lines overlie each other and intersect to finally yield an organic design closest to our body today.”
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| The new Master Chair by Philippe Starck presented at the Salone del Mobile in Milan 2012 |
Then a new rendition of his 'Mademoiselle chair'. Starck in tandem with multi-talented powerhouse
Lenny Kravitz, to create a set of wild, totally luxe seating. Not a huge surprise that Kravitz slathered the chairs in exotic leather, fur, and python. “The Kravitz design take on the Mademoiselle chair is haute couture meets rock and roll,” the rocker says. Strangely, design is not new for the multitalented Kravitz, who has whet his designer's whistle in Miami. He conceived of the now-defunct but gorgeously executed Florida Room at the Hotel Delano and even built a super high-end and sought-after music studio at the Setai Hotel, all through his fledgling creative company,
Kravitz Design. However, this is the first time you can actually buy something Lenny's produced.
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| Mademoiselle chair by Philippe Starck and Lenny Kravitz |
Philippe Starck has designed for o.g. Flos, Vitra, Kartell and Driade. The 'Ara lamp' was designed for Flos and for Kartell, the 'Louis Ghost' chair. They are counted to as absolute top designs. The Dr. No for Kartell has become a design classic. Philippe Starck is sins 984 behind the wheel of design label xO. Together with a handful of designers including Marcel Wanders and Eugeni Quillet, they created controversial design in household products and with success taken over designworld.
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| Louis Ghost Chair by Philippe Starck |
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| Ara Lamp by Philippe Starck |
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| DR No and DR Na (chair and table) by Philippe Starck |
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| Armchair from the Out-In range by Philippe Starck |
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Miss Sissi bio-on Lamp by Philippe Starck (1991), first lamp made of a revolutionary bioplastic called PHAs, which itself is the equivalent of treacle. |
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Peugeot city bike for Bordeaux, France. Considered a cross between a bicycle and a scooter |
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| Skim Milk: Home/Gym/Office by Philippe Starck |
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| L'hôtel Mama Shelter Marseille by Philippe Starck |
