Philippe Starck

Russian Billionaire Andrey Melnichenko Buys $12 Million Central Park Pad

Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, owner of the eye-popping $300 million megayacht 'A' (above) designed by Philippe Starck, has splashed out $12.2 million on a penthouse pied-à-terre in Central Park. It's the first New York property for Melnichenko, at 38 one of the world's youngest billionaires, and his model wife Aleksandra, the Wall St. Journal reports, added to a real estate portfolio that includes apartments and estates in Moscow, France and the U.K. The 2,800-sq.-ft., two-bedroom duplex has two balconies, a terrace facing Central Park, and an entrance gallery with 24-foot ceilings. As we reported back in January Melnichenko, who amassed a $4.4 billion fortune in fertilizer and banking, entertained Martha Stewart, Demi Moore and Aston Kutcher on his yacht in St. Barth's over New Year's during Roman Abramovich's bash.

Tags: Andrey Melnichenko, billionaire, Central Park, mega+yacht, megayacht, New York, oligarch, penthouse, Philippe Starck, real estate, Roman Abramovich, Russia, Russian billionaires, superyacht, wealth, yacht

Google Founder Larry Page Splashes Out on a New Superyacht

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth

Google founder Larry Page has splashed out $45 million on a new superyacht with interiors by design genius Philippe Starck. The internet billionaire's new toy is the 194-ft. expedition superyacht Senses, purchased from New Zealand tycoon Sir Douglas Myers. The steel-hulled yacht was designed by Kusch Yachts and built back in 1999 at Germany's Schweers yard with a refit in 2010, and features accommodation for 10 guests and 14 crew over six decks. Split-level decks provide open and shaded sun lounging areas, secluded side pods, sheltered outdoor dining and informal seating areas. There's an airy and light gymnasium and a private beach club, complete with a Jacuzzi pool and vast sun beds, all with Starck's signature flair. The centerpiece of the vessel is a spacious owners' suite with dressing room which spans the full beam of the yacht. Senses also has a helipad and is equipped to carry a variety of toys and tenders. With twin 1,600 hp Deutz diesels she has a maximum speed of 15 knots, a cruising speed of 11 knots, and a range of 6,500 nautical miles at cruising speed.

Gallery: Larry Page's Superyacht 'Senses'

[via JamesList]

Tags: billionaire, expedition yacht, Google, google+yacht, googleyacht, Larry Page, larry+page+yacht, larry+page+yacht+senses, larrypageyacht, larrypageyachtsenses, Philippe Starck, senses+yacht, sensesyacht, superyacht, yacht

Salma Hayek & Supermodels Party on St. Barths' Sexiest Superyacht

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth

Roman Abramovich's Eclipse is bigger, Demi Moore's Philippe Starck-designed cruiser is cooler, and P. Diddy's floating iPad-controlled palace is more expensive, but the 161-ft. Destination Fox Harb'r Too was hands-down the sexiest superyacht in St. Barths over the New Year's vacation. It's not that there's anything terribly special about the Trinity-built vessel considering the competition; rather it has to do with who was onboard: Salma Hayek and stunning supermodels Alessandra Ambrosio (above) and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Hayek's billionaire husband François-Henri Pinault of the famed French luxury goods conglomerate reportedly footed the $250,000-per-week tab for the oceangoing extravaganza.

Destination Fox Harb'r Too was launched in 2008 with luxe accommodations for 11 guests in six spacious staterooms. The yacht is manned by a crew of 10 including a 5-star chef, three hostesses and a watersports guide. The split-level owner's suite features amazing 180-degree views and dual private en-suite baths. The Patrick Knowles Design interior is modeled on a European spa resort, featuring sophisticated fabrics, hand-carved glass and stone work, and acres of Honduran mahogany paneling with redwood burl, lacewood, and Macassar ebony accents. The sexy shipmates were in St. Barths for Abramovich's lavish New Year's Eve bash featuring the Black Eyed Peas.

[via JustLuxe]

Gallery: 'Destination Fox Harb'r Too'

Tags: Alessandra Ambrosio, megayacht, Philippe Starck, Roman Abramovich, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Salma Hayek, St. Barths, supermodels, superyacht, yacht

Demi Moore & Martha Stewart Party on Russian Billionaire's Megayacht

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Events, Wealth

Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher and Martha Stewart made the New Year's scene in St. Barths as guests of Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko aboard his Philippe Starck-designed megayacht 'A' (above). The awe-inspiring 390-ft. craft ranks as the 11th largest yacht in the world and cost an estimated $300 million to build. The celebs were in town for oligarch Roman Abramovich's star-studded New Year's Eve bash featuring the Black Eyed Peas at his lavish estate on the island. While on board the yacht Moore strutted around in a barely-there bikini and caught some rays.

She and Kutcher also played around on the vessel's jet skis. The yacht's interior features $40,000 bath faucets, $60,000 stair banisters, and an all-white, 2,583-sq.-ft. master suite wrapped in bulletproof glass and accessed by a silver-plated staircase with a fingerprint scanner at the door. Key decor accents include Baccarat crystal tables, alligator skin and Kudu horn chairs, stingray skin upholstered walls and hand-stitched leather paneling. Filling the A's gas tanks alone costs $500,000 a pop and running costs come to about $20 million a year.

Tags: Andrey Melnichenko, Ashton Kutcher, celebrity, Demi Moore, Martha Stewart, megayacht, parties, Philippe Starck, Roman Abramovich, Russian billionaires, St. Barths, superyacht, yacht

Tofinou 12 Sailing Yacht by Philippe Starck & Goyard

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Architecture & Design

Don't have $300 million to commission an eye-popping megayacht from freak of nature Philippe Starck? You don't need to be a Russian billionaire to afford his newest ocean-going feat of high design, the 39-ft. Tofinou 12 sailing yacht (above) from France's Latitude 46 boatyard. Starck employed precious woods, leather, steel and bespoke monogrammed canvas storage pouches from the famed house of Goyard to decorate the teak, mahogany, carbon fiber and Kevlar in the boat's construction. Due to be unveiled at next month's Paris Boat Show, the four-berth weekender features twin carbon wheels which Starck has wrapped in luxe leather. A stainless steel-framed rosewood companionway gives onto a saloon decked out in floor to ceiling leather, with wide curved seating, oversized cushions, a varnished painted oval table and mirror polished stainless steel mast support. "A Tofinou doesn't exist," Starck states. "It's just a dream, an evocation, a breeze, a sigh of happiness. So little materiality, so elegant. The perfect quality and timelessness of Tofinou born within the natural intelligence of the relationship between the sea and man."

[via JamesList]

Gallery: Tofinou 12 Yacht by Starck

Tags: carbon fiber, France, Goyard, leather, Philippe Starck, Russian billionaire, sailing, sailing yacht, yacht

Russian Billionaire's Philippe Starck - Designed Superyacht Startles San Diego

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Yachts & Sailing, Wealth, Architecture & Design

It caused quite a kerfuffle when 38-year-old Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko's megayacht A (above), designed by Philippe Starck, weighed anchor off San Diego the other day while its owner drove off to check out Hearst Castle. The 390-ft. craft which resembles a sci-fi submarine cost over $300 million to build to the quirky designer's specs at Blohm + Voss, where Roman Abramovich's Eclipse was also constructed. With a crew of 35 (all outfitted in Starck-designed uniforms) to run it, the A's twin diesel's kick down 24,000 hp for a maximum speed of 24 knots, impressive for a ship this size. The interior features $40,000 bath faucets and $60,000 stair banisters.

The all-white, 2,583-sq.-ft. master suite wrapped in bulletproof, 44-milimeter glass is accessed by a silver-plated staircase with a fingerprint scanner at the door. Elsewhere Starck scattered Baccarat crystal tables, alligator skin and Kudu horn chairs, stingray skin upholstered walls and hand-stitched leather paneling. Some of the companies involved in constructing the unique sea beast went bankrupt due to the difficulties in executing Starck's design dictums. Filling the A's gas tanks alone costs $500,000 a pop and running costs come to about $20 million a year. Check out a video of the eye-popping yacht after the jump:

Tags: alligator, Andrey Melnichenko, Baccarat, Blohm + Voss, bulletproof, design, leather, megayacht, Philippe Starck, Roman Abramovich, Russian billionaire, San Diego, silver, stingray, superyacht, yacht

Continue reading “Russian Billionaire's Philippe Starck - Designed Superyacht Startles San Diego”

Philippe Starck-designed LED lamps for Flos

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

The Hooo!!! and Haaa!!! lamps aren't exactly new, but they have been shown in production form this year and if you have hoo-haa sums of money, maybe you can buy one. A collaboration between lighting company Flos, designer Philippe Starck, artist Jenny Holzer, electrical designer Moritz Waldemeyer,and crystal glass maker Baccarat, the Hooo!!! is a table lamp and the Haaa!!! a floor lamp, both fitted with an LED display down their centers that display text.

Jenny Holzer's text is already encoded into the lamp and will be projected onto any nearby surface, which is supposed to make for "an attention-grabbing animation." We aren't sure what the text reads, but we hope it's compelling, because with that list of contributors you know better than to expect mundane prices: 49 examples of the Hooo!!! will go for €9,000 ($11,433 U.S.), while just nine examples of the Haaa!!! will require a cash transfusion of €90,000 ($114,327 U.S.). Check out a short video of the Hooo!!! lamp after the jump.

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Tags: baccarat, decor, flos, jenny holzer, LED art, led lamp, LED lighting, light, lighting, Moritz Waldemeyer, philippe starck, starck

Continue reading “Philippe Starck-designed LED lamps for Flos”

Banks Prepare To Seize Icon Brickell Condo Tower

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

Miami has been one of the toughest condo real estate markets in the past few years but for the most part the luxury condos have had a little better time of it. But now the Wall Street Journal reports that one of Miami's most high-profile developments, the Icon Brickell is being taken over by a group of lenders led by HSBC Holdings PLC and Bank of America Corp. We wrote about the lavish project last September when we heard that Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony had purchased a unit in the building. The three-tower condominium designed by Philippe Starck is in a complex that includes the Viceroy Miami Hotel. Building amenities include multiple pools, a spa and fitness center, five restaurants, rooftop pool club, concierge and valet services. According to the WSJ article Related Group will remain the manager of the complex.

The project was completed last year but presales began in 2006 when south Florida real estate was at its height. Although many buyers put down deposits on the nearly all of the 1,800 condo units less than 200 sales have been completed. The article says that prices are now about 30 percent off the peak prices (now around $550,000 for a two-bedroom unit) but some buyers may still balk over the steep condo fees. The amenities are so lavish that maintenance in the building is equally expensive. For a look at what buyers get, check out tour images at Miami Condo Investments.

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Tags: condo, condominium, icon brickell, IconBrickell, miami, philippe starck, PhilippeStarck, related group, RelatedGroup, viceroy hotel, ViceroyHotel

Philippe Starck's Hotel Furniture Up For Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Some of the items up for auction at Wright Auction House in Chicago on October 6 might make potential buyers of a certain age nostalgic for their New York City youth. When the pieces were designed by Philippe Starck for Ian Schrager for the Paramount and Royalton boutique hotels in Midtown Manhattan were first unveiled over a decade ago they were like nothing that the hotel industry had ever seen before. Now Starck's avant-garde design prototypes can seem almost tame. Almost. They still have a whimsical appeal that holds up. Could Starck be a classic? The bar stools shown above were originally designed for the Royalton Hotel and are estimated to sell for $2,000–3,000. The NY Times talked with Richard Wright, the auction house owner, who said that Starck hasn't come a collector's favorite because he's so ubiquitous but this is the chance to buy the originals that spawned a furniture army or at least a few glamorous hotel nights.

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Tags: auction, awards-promo, decor-awards, ian schrager, IanSchrager, philippe starck, PhilippeStarck

Lagerfeld, Starck Design Covers for Wallpaper* Magazine

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Celebrity Design

Chanel top man Karl Lagerfeld and designer Philippe Starck will guest-edit the October 2009 issue of interiors title Wallpaper*, according the Guardian.

Lagerfeld has designed a "peelable" cover for the monthly title, which features model Baptiste Giabiconi. Readers can peel back this image to reveal another cover, which shows Giabiconi nude.

Starck, best known for designing high-end hotels, has constructed a transparent front cover using three layers of tracing paper (see it on the Wallpaper* home page).

Lagerfeld and Starck have each edited large sections of the issue, out now. Lagerfeld, also a sought-after photographer, has shot Giabiconi in a variety of historical settings across continental Europe, including Rome and Paris. He also writes about his collection of houses.

Starck is more philosophical, focusing on "mankind's quest to discover the meaning of life and interviewing scientists, physicists and cosmologists," the Guardian said. "It is my mission to make intelligence sexy," Starck said.

Tags: Karl Lagerfeld, KarlLagerfeld, magazine, magazines, Philippe Starck, PhilippeStarck, wallpaper, wallpaper magazine, WallpaperMagazine

Philippe Starck Plans Fashion Line

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

You've eaten in his restaurants and sat on his chairs, now you can drape yourself in Philippe Starck. The prolific French designer is working with cashmere brand Ballantyne to create a collection for men and woman. The new project and brand, Starck With Ballantyne will feature a combination of multi function garments, with new ergonomics and contemporary fittings. The modern take on cashmere will be done in 30 pieces for men and women in both cashmere and modern and technical fabrics. I haven''t been able to find any pictures but Glam describes a collection that includes fluorescent silk linings for lighter garments, hoods on knitwear and outerwear and teddy bear detachable waistcoats. The line will be on sale this fall in Ballantyne flagship stores and selected multi-brand stores. This isn't Starck's first foray into fashion, he has also created a line of bodywear (Starck Naked) with Puma.

Tags: ballantyne cashmere, BallantyneCashmere, cashmere, philippe starck, PhilippeStarck, starck

The Parrot By Starck Wireless Speakers

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

If you adore your iPod or iPhone and think it belongs on a pedestal, these new wireless speakers might be just perfect for you. 'Zikmu,' the Parrot wireless speakers by Philippe Starck have a dedicated iPod / iPhone docking station and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies. The two speakers communicate with each other using Bluetooth technology in order to position both speakers wherever in the room. Using the docking station built into one of the columns, users can enjoy their favorite music while recharging their iPod or iPhone and the speakers and the device can be controlled from anywhere in the room using a remote control. The Parrot by Starck speakers promise a 360° immersive sound experience. The Parrot by Starck wireless speakers will be available for Spring 2009 at a suggested retail price of $1,500.

[via Gizmodo]

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Tags: audiophile, parrot, philippe starck, PhilippeStarck, speakers, starck

Philippe Starck's Wind Turbine For Home Use

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Green

Philippe Starck has been pretty busy designing stuff lately, considering just a few months ago he was proclaiming that "design is dead" and announcing his retirement. I guess the most creative minds have the most persuasive demons, and it seems Starck is trying to learn from his: after proclaiming that "everything he had ever designed was useless" he's now on to designing something truly useful and trendy: a mini-turbine designed for people to use at home to generate their own wind power.

The mini-turbine is made of clear polycarbonate (the lack of color is apparently a statement about there being so much materiality in the world) and is capable of providing 20-60% of the power needs for the average home. It will be available this coming September with a price tag around $600.

Gallery: The Philippe Starck Home Wind Turbine

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Tags: green, philippe starck, PhilippeStarck, planet, starck, wind, wind power, wind turbine, WindPower, WindTurbine

Philippe Starck Designs A Presidency

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Philippe Starck has designed yachts, hotels and countless household items but his latest challenge might just be his greatest. Starck is helping to design the accouterments of France's turn at the European presidency. France is famous for style and wants to carry that into this new regime and so the foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner hired Starck as an artistic director: Philippe Starck. As Starck, who is not known for his modesty, explains it to the AFP, there are a lot of things that are given to journalists, ministers, delegates and now "for the first time in the history of the EU, everything produced will be of high quality."

Items produced so far include pens, notebooks and a goodie bag sent to all French MPs that included stationery and a pale gray tie. Some of the women MPs, who all received the ties weren't too thrilled with the gift. Starck has also designed a special two euro coin.

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Tags: designer, european union, EuropeanUnion, france, philippe starck, PhilippeStarck

Philippe Starck's RobinWood Collection

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Philippe Starck has gone a little silly with his new collection, although (no worries) he hasn't completely abandoned his usual sense of style in the process. Launched in collaboration with David Sutherland the collection is called RobinWood and is inspired by (you guessed it) the legend of Robin Hood.

With names like "The Lil' John" chair, "The Loxley" canopy bed, and "The King Richard" dining table, Starck is making good on his statement "humor is a sign of intelligence. It should be everywhere." The pieces represent Starck's first outdoor line of furniture and range in price from $1650 to $2350.

Gallery: Philippe Starck's Robinwood Collection