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Philippe Starck Plans Fashion Line

Filed under: Apparel

philippe starckYou'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.

The Parrot By Starck Wireless Speakers

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]

Yacht "A" Picks Up Some Monet

Filed under: Water, Art


Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko's long-awaited yacht is getting some pricey decoration. The wildly distinctive yacht, known simply as "A" named after Melnichenko's wife Aleksandra, was designed by Philippe Starck. The Times Online reports that the $400 million megayacht recently motored to Norway to pick up three Monet paintings. It is believed that Melnichenko chose Norway to avoid EU import taxes.

The 390-foot ship was built by Blohm & Voss and features details including a glass roof looking up into one of the two swimming pools. It has six guest cabins but room for 42 staff members.

Check out more pictures of this incredible yacht at Monaco Eye.

Philippe Starck's Wind Turbine For Home Use

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.

Philippe Starck's RobinWood Collection

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.

Philippe Starck: Ashamed, Retiring, and Saying Design is Dead?

Filed under: Decor


Sometimes even dream jobs get old, and it seems Philippe Starck is tired of being a famous designer, feels that design is dead anyway, and plans to retire within the next two years. He also feels that the designers of the future will be "the personal coach, the gym trainer, and the diet consultant," and that everything he designed in his career was "unnecessary" and he's ashamed to have been part of it.

Wow.

Sounds like he's having a bit of a midlife crisis or something! It will be interesting to see what he ends up doing in the future -- with a creative mind like his it could be something really interesting.

The Ero |S| Swivel

Filed under: Decor


Designed by Philip Starck, the Ero |S| Swivel chair is modern functional simplicity at its finest. I'm not quite sure what the naked models do for the advertising (other than make you feel like you need to clean the chair before you sit in it) but despite them I think these egg-shaped chairs look cool and relatively comfortable. They come in this pedestal version that swivels, in a version with legs, and one that has wheels. Plus there are lots of color options (both transparent and opaque). Polycarbonate and chrome, $485-$700.


Via Wists

Gramercy by Philippe Starck

Filed under: Estates

Gramercy YOO by Starck is the newest New York city complex by the prolific French designer. The project launched on the 1st of May 2007 in Manhattan and half of the units are already sold. The building is standard Starckness with amenities that include a lounge, communal terrace, roof garden and fitness room. The most interesting homes in the complex are the the Duplex Sky Houses, two-story glass-fronted houses in the sky that also have private outdoor space. For your dose of Starck check out this video that includes a tour of the new development offices of Gramercy by Philippe Starck.

More Starck developments
Cape Yamu, Another Ambitious Project In Thailand
Aurora Over The Hudson
Icon Vallerta Mexico
Boston Buyers Spurn Starck
Starck Sets Up "House" in Dallas
Downtown by Phillippe Starck

Louis Ghost Chair

Filed under: Decor

The infamous white (or green) plastic lawn chair finally gets a face lift, and from Phillipe Starck no less. That may or may not have been his intention, but it's what I think of when I see the Louis Ghost Chair. Visibly inspired by the classic Louis XVI armchair, it takes that look and reduces it to simpler shapes and lines. Created from a single mold of transparent polycarbonate, the chairs are a little less intrusive visually than their not-as-classy colored cousins (they may not even admit to being related!) but do share some family traits, such as being easy to clean (just wipe with a damp cloth), suitable for indoors or out, and stackable for storage. £150.

Sleepy Working Bed

Filed under: Decor

I've heard many commuting professionals joke that those of use who work at home sit around in pajamas all day. Philippe Starck has just given every pj-clad worker a reason to spend the whole day in bed, too. His Sleepy Working Bed has a desk that attaches to the headboard, dual bedside tables that have integral dat/power points and an additional table at the foot of the bed. It even has two different types of lights, one for the desk and one to light the bedside tables, creating the ideal lighting for the position of the table. The only thing it doesn't have is a fridge, so you'll just have to stop by it on the way to the bathroom. Price: £5,700 (approx. $10,800).

[via Born Rich]

Boston Buyers Spurn Starck

Filed under: Estates

Could it be that uber-designer Philippe Starck isn't universally appealing. His condos in New York and Miami Beach have thrived but in Boston, not so much. Starck's YooD4 project which has taken over the old Area D-4 police station in the pricey South End, hasn't connected with consumers. Marketing began a year ago but only six of 26 condos have been sold and even those six aren't done deals.

What's the problem? The Boston Globe cites rising mortgage rates, construction delays, and high prices as factors but it could be that Starck's bare yet flashy design just doesn't resonate with Boston's more traditional real estate buyers. Those who buy into Starck's projects aren't just purchasing space they are buying into Starck's quirky aesthetic. The interiors for YooD4 had two options: "Nature" with bamboo floors, teak kitchen cabinets and marble tile bathrooms or "Urban" with white oak floors, white laminate cabinets and white walls.

Starck did better across town at Parris Landing in the Charlestown navy Yard. Most of the units sold in 18 months. What's the difference? Starck had less of a hand in this one, design packages for interiors are optional and Starck confined most of his Starcktacular special effects to common areas. The future of YooD4 may well involve a toning down of the Starck magic.

Starck Joins New Hotel Brand

Filed under: Journeys

New hotel chains are popping up as fast as condo projects lately. Philippe Starck, the ubiquitous designer who is no stranger to hotel design, has been selected by SBE Hotel Group to create the look for a new unnamed hotel brand. SBE is owned by Los Angeles club god Sam Nazarian and the first property will be on the site of the Le Meridien in Beverly Hills which is set to open in 2008.

SBE managed to tied Starck down to a 15-year exclusive deal (so much for his claim in an interview last year that he'd be retiring in three years).  The new boutique brand will be hitting all the hot spots including New York, Miami and the Caribbean but instead of creating new hotels, these will all be conversions.  Starck will also remodel the Ritz Plaza in Miami but it will not be part of the new brand. He will also design restaurants and lounges including a new Brentwood restaurant set to launch in May.

SBE seems to have learned from the drama involving the Roosevelt hotel and Amanda Scheer Demme, who blocked hotel guests from her exclusive clubs. In an article in Travel Weekly, Michael Doneff, SBE Entertainment Group’s vice president of marketing promises that  "if you stay at our hotels, you will have preferred access to our nightclubs.”  It's a smart move to make the guests feel like they pare part of an exclusive group rather than feeling alienated in their own hotel.

Starck Alessi Salif Citrus Juicer

Filed under: Gadgets

The innovative designer Philippe Starck has designed this truly unique citrus juicer. It looks vaguely insect-like, as though it might simply walk off the counter if left unattended, but it is simple and elegant at the same time. The juicer does not seem to have gotten the most positive feedback at Amazon.com, where users found the design a bit difficult to work with. Using a long, tall pitcher to catch the fresh juice as it drips down the cast-aluminum, pointed juicer should help things along considerably. Price: $79.

Starck Icon Chair

Filed under: Decor

The spare and bare chair shown here is the latest Philippe Starck creation. It's the new Icon chair designed for Emeco, the Aluminum Chair Company. The new chair will be launched at Milan’s 2006 Salone Internazionale del Mobile this April and it is handmade of 100% aluminum. The stacking chairs have an estimated lifespan of 150 years and a lifetime guarantee. In the press release, Gregg Buchbinder, Emeco’s Chairman says that:  “Working with Starck is like making love. I don’t know why it feels so good or works so well, I just follow my heart." Ah, Starck, he's so irresistible. Retails prices for the chairs start at $350 and there is also an Icon barstool (shown after the jump).

Mademoiselle Missoni Chair

Filed under: Cigars

Phillippe Starck's clear Ghost chairs are a design classic, now there is a new chair to love. It has the transparent legs of a Ghost chair but with a bright Missoni print for the chair itself. The chair is made of a polycarbonate structure with soft seat in fabric-covered expanded polyurethane. There are three Missoni prints and the cheerful chair sells for $790.


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