Starck has new ‘territories’ in sight

Philippe Starck has hinted that he may be reconsidering his role in design, throwing a question mark over the future of his various international collaborations.

At the launch of his latest bathroom collection, Starck X, designed for bathroom specialists Duravit and Hansgrohe, he said, ‘There are a lot of new things still to do. I am currently finishing up work, but will stop in a couple of years so that I will be free to do something else.’

Starck says he plans to take on new design ‘territories’ within two years, claiming his battle to create ‘democratic design’ and produce affordable, high quality products has been ‘won’. He will concentrate on new projects based on ‘pure action (that will be) more direct, more violent’.

He says it is too early to reveal specific details of the project, but speaks about the problem of an economic ‘slave industry’, and highlights a burgeoning gap between retail prices and the actual costs of manufacturing.

‘The difference is paid by slaves working in Asia and India, this has to stop,’ he explains.

Starck launched branding consultancy The Key this spring to bring Asian-manufactured products to global markets.