The Creative Mind of Philippe Starck
Philippe Starck has a unique way of seeing the world. In his early 20s, while living in Tokyo, he would open bags of garbage left on the streets each night. This unusual habit gave him deep insights into Japanese culture. As he puts it, “Garbage doesn’t lie.”
During a visit to San Francisco’s Pride celebration a few years back, Starck played a game that he enjoys: turning the handles of every door he passed on a walk. This adventure led him to a hidden ceremony where a group was crowning a new queer king of the city. Starck loves discovering unexpected stories, believing that reality can often be stranger than fiction.
“I am neurodivergent,” he shares, explaining one reason for the sense of symmetry present in many of his early designs. While he thinks symmetry might seem boring, he finds it calming. However, his interpretation of symmetry is anything but ordinary.
Take Café Costes, for example, which he opened in 1984. This restaurant was groundbreaking, featuring perfectly diverging lines in its floor pattern and a stunning staircase that led to a central clock lit from behind. Although that café has since closed, it left behind a legacy of style that includes its iconic chairs, which are now highly sought after at auctions.
Another of Starck’s creations, the Felix restaurant in Hong Kong, remains open. Located on the top floor of The Peninsula hotel, it offers a different kind of atmosphere. While the rest of the hotel embodies traditional Asian luxury, stepping into Felix feels like entering another era. The space features black-and-white portraits on chairs and elegantly curved staircases, each lit from underneath to create a breathtaking effect, reminiscent of a sci-fi movie set.
The Peninsula hotel cleverly acknowledges its rich history by serving a ’90s-themed cocktail menu, a nod to design enthusiasts and a reminder of the era that shaped Starck’s creative vision.
