Philippe Starck

“Subversive, ethical, visionary, political, humorous, poetic: that is the idea I have of my duty as a creator.” — Philippe Starck

A career rich with 10,000 creations — realised or in progress —, an international reputation and a tireless protean inventiveness must not let us forget the essential: Philippe Starck has a mission, a vision — that creation, whatever form it takes, should make life better for the greatest number.

This eminently political and poetic, rebellious and benevolent, pragmatic and subversive duty, Starck strongly affirms it should be shared by all, summing it up with the humour that has accompanied his approach since his beginnings: “Nobody has to be a genius, but everyone is required to participate.”

“Working with Emeco allowed me to use a recycled material and turn it into something that never needs to be thrown away.” — Philippe Starck

Philippe Starck was one of the first designers to take the Navy Chair out of its original context and place it in modern, design-driven environments. When Gregg Buchbinder had just taken over Emeco in 1999, he met Starck in a corridor at the ICFF show in New York. Gregg said to him: “Mr Starck, thank you for using our chairs at the Paramount Hotel.” After thinking for a moment, Starck asked: “The Navy Chair? You own the company? I thought it belonged to a group of old soldiers! I'd like to design a chair for Emeco.” Thus began a close, lasting and prolific relationship between Emeco and Philippe Starck — a relationship that launched Emeco's transformation, from supplier to the US Navy into one of the leading design furniture brands.

Discover at Antifer: Broom (Emeco).