Starck

Dubbed the only contemporary designer to have achieved "rockstar status" Philippe Starck is a genius awash in equal measures of praise and controversy. Fiercely modern (some say "sci-fi") yet wary of progress, cagily self-promoting yet scornful of the press, Starck has built a design empire on a foundation of exuberant contradictions. Indeed, Starck's designs straddle numerous genres and defy conventional classifications : from chic New York hotels to a lovingly crafted toothbrush ; from the still-unrealized subcutaneous wristwatch to a recycling center in Vitry, France. According to Starck, creating beautiful objects and structures is only a potential by product of his greater mission of creating honest, "loving" designs that respect their users. In this informative, densely illustrated volume-the design of which was overseen by Starck himself-the full range of the designer's remarkable body of work is brought to light via lively commentary from Starck, insightful essays, and ample photographs, many from Starck's own archives. Included here are the designer's newest ventures, among them a line of what Starck calls "Good Goods : Nonproducts for Nonconsumers" a series of approximately two hundred "honest" household objects created and selected for the chic French mail-order catalog La Redoute. Readers can see the newest (and strangest) fruits of Starck's evolving philosophy of responsible consumerism and ecologically respectful design in this lively, totally up-to-date survey of the designer's work. This volume is a must for anyone who has ever lavished in the opulence of a Starck hotel lobby, pondered an aluminum Starck lemon-squeezer, or coveted a Starck table and chair ; and it is essential reading for anyone who seeks to understand the motive forces behind this most extraordinary designer as he prepares tc, usher us into the next millennium.