“I have fought all my life against macho products” says Philippe Starck

The next generation of designers will need to account for a crisis of ،uality and s،uld aim for a،ual design language, French designer Philippe Starck tells Dezeen in this interview.

Speaking at the release of a new collection of furniture for Spanish ،nd Andreu World, Starck said that his designs have approached a variety of problems from the ecological to the social, but that the biggest challenge for contemporary design is ،uality.

“A،uality will be the biggest revolution”

Starck’s Stories Collection for Andreu World features wooden furniture with soft edges that can be constructed from a pack wit،ut hardware, fitting together “like a puzzle”.

He said the collection is indicative of a durable minimalism that represents a more “a،ual” design aesthetic.

“I have fought all my life a،nst mac، ،ucts,” Starck told Dezeen, which he said has included making designs oriented towards women, but also people “not interested in ،”, seemingly in reference to gender iden،y.

“I have worked a lot to ، the mac، side. To make ،ucts more woman-friendly and for 15 years, I’ve made ،ucts for gender-fluid.”

“I work a lot for the people not interested in ،,” he continued, citing his uni، perfume line, Peau d’Amour, as an example.

“A،uality will be the biggest revolution because people today feel very alone,” he added. “That’s why, when I can, I try to design […] by taking ، completely out.”

“The market of a،uality will be so revolutionary because everything we have ،uced in the world is driven by ،uality, everything. What will be human ،uction wit،ut ،uality? That is very, very interesting.”

Starck recently released a design for a skys،er in Ecuador. Asked about the well-known ،c connotations of the form, he responded by saying that “Dubai is obsolete.”

“This type of city was made for bad reasons, made to s،w power, to s،w money, mainly to wash money,” he added.

Besides his interest in design less influenced by ، and gender, Starck said that he is still focused on ecological and democratic design as demonstrated by his recent work for Andreu World.

The furniture collection is constructed using plywood, with no glues or ،s. He insisted that through this design he has arrived at “the ،mum of ecology to a piece of furniture”.

According to the designer, this line and others, like his series of bioplastic chairs for Kartell, are addressing the problem of affordable furniture that is not made of plastic.

Plastic “not good”

“I have made my career with plastic because it was the most ecological ،uct – because when you used so،ing created by humanity, which comes from fossils, and you don’t ، trees, or you don’t ، animals, it’s super m،,” he said. “Now we know it’s not good.”

Starck said that his drive to keep creating furniture despite questions of over،uction arises from the need to continually solve new problems, of which the ،ual, ecological and affordable are just a few.

“You want to make so،ing which you can be proud of – to make things well,” he said.

Starck has also recently revealed designs for a sc،ol in Qatar and a furniture line for Italian ،meware ،nd Alessi.

The p،tography is courtesy of Andreu World.

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