M323: ‘Francesca Spanish’ chairs, designed by Philippe Starck for Baleri Italia in 1979

© Salonfähig, 2013

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Philippe Patrick Starck (born January 18, 1949) is undoubtedly the living "King Of Modern Design". His designs range from spectacular interior designs (for some of the leading hotels of the word) to mass produced consumer goods such as toothbrushes and chairs.
He was educated in Paris at Ecole Nissim de Camondo and founded his first design firm in 1968 (the firm specialized 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. Most notably he has created a number of relatively inexpensive product designs for the large American retailer Target Stores.
Starck's career started to climb in earnest in 1982 when he designed the interior for the private apartments of the then French President Francois Mitterrand. After this date more and more works appear on his CV. His most recent occupations include a mouse for Microsoft, yachts and even new packaging for a beer company. He has 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 provocative and expensive single pieces. Instead his product designs are of usable household items who Starck himself helps to market for mass production. His products are often stylized, streamlined and organic in their look and are also constructed using unusual combinations of materials (such as glass and stone, plastic and aluminum, plush fabric and chrome, etc.).

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