Philippe Starck discusses AI, the first chair designed using artificial intelligence for Kartell, and his goal of making design accessible to all
Philippe Starck is easily one of the world’s most recognisable design icons. His prolific oeuvre includes both everyday products like the humble juicer and tableware, as well as glamorous superyachts and even a habitation module for Axiom Space, a commercial space station.
And yet at the core of it all is his drive to make design more accessible than ever before, in ways both big and small. “Whether it’s a toothbrush, an aeroplane or a chair, it’s always the same philosophy: to think about what the user will gain,” he says.
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It’s in this context that we meet Starck at the Kartell booth at the Salone del Mobile fair. “I want to make design democratic,” says the 70-year-old, discussing his long-term collaboration with the Italian design company. “And the only way to make design democratic is plastic injection (moulding). Because it’s the only way to raise the quality, lower the price and make it available to everybody. The only company in the world (to fit these requirements) is Kartell.”
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