Starck, Philippe

Philippe Starck - born in Paris on January 18, 1949 was inspired to design at an early age through his father’s influence, as he was an airplane designer. In the mid-1960’s, Starck attended the Ecole Nissim de Camondo in Paris, and soon after founded his first company, to produce inflatable objects. During the 1970’s, he worked on designing and outfitting Parisian nightclubs, including La Main Bleue (1976) and Les Bains-Douches (1978). In 1979 he founded the "Starck Product" company. As the 1980’s began, he found himself working more and more with interior and industrial design, refurnishing the private apartments in the Elysée Palace in Paris for President Mitterrand of France. In 1984 Starck worked with the interior of the Café Costes in Paris, along with those of other establishments around the world, notably in Tokyo and Madrid. His work continued to move in an international direction. New York’s Royalton and Paramount hotels (1988 and 1990), were his designs, and he also played a leading part in the design of the Groningen Museum in the Netherlands in 1991. His work has been exhibited, among other places, in Paris, Marseille, Rome, Munich, Düsseldorf, Kyoto, Tokyo, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. He lives and works in Paris.