J. Lang Armchairs by Philippe Starck for Driade, 1980s, Set of 2

Born in 1949 in Paris, designer Philippe Starck has been described as a provocateur, a defender of democratic design, and “a superstar on the French design scene.” It’s said that as a child, Starck slept under the drafting table of his father, who was an inventor and aeronautics engineer. Starck went on to study at the École Camondo in Paris, but was later quoted as saying that he “learned nothing” there and was, instead, driven by his own curiosity.

Around 1968, Starck set up his own studio in Paris, with a special focus on inflatable designs; he collaborated with the master of blow-up furniture, designer Quasar Khanh. The following year, Starck debuted an inflatable structure at Salon de l’Enfance and caught the attention of fashion designer Pierre Cardin, who straightaway offered him an art director position. 

In the mid to late 1970s, Starck found success designing nightclub interiors, like La Main Bleue in Montreuil and Les Bain Douches in Paris. As the 1980s neared, Starck launched a company called Starck Product—later named Ubik after the Philip K. Dick novel—and began producing furniture, lighting, and accessory designs for major manufacturers like Alessi, Driade,  Flos, Kartell, and Vitra.

In 1983, Starck’s international design celebrity began to build when French president François Mitterrand invited him to renovate the private apartments of the Élysée Palace. Not long after, Starck began to receive regular commissions for restaurant and hotel interiors. Highlights from this phase of his career include Café Costes in Paris (1984), Manin in Tokyo (1985), Theatron in Mexico City (1985), the Royalton (1988) and Paramount (1990) hotels in New York City, and the Delano Hotel in Miami Beach (1995). In 1999, Starck partnered with developer John Hitchcox to launch Yoo, a design firm dedicated to residential and commercial interiors.

Starck is arguably the most prolific designer living today, and any listing of his many iconic works must be abbreviated. Among the standouts, however, you’ll find Miss Dorn Chair for VIA and later for Driade (1980); Pat Conley I Chair for XO (1983); J. Série Lang Chair for Driade (1986); Hot Bertaa Kettle for Alessi (1987); Miss Donna Mirror for OWO and later for Alessi (1987); Lola Mundo Chair for Driade (1988); Juicy Salif Lemon Squeezer for Alessi (1990); W.W. Stool for Vitra (1990); Louis 20 Chair for Vitra (1991); Miss Sissi Table Lamp for Flos (1991); Vicieuse Coffee Table for Driade (1992); Excalibur Toilet Brush for Heller (1993); Jim Nature Portable Television for Thomson (1994); Rosy Angelis Lamp for Flos (1994); Dr. No Chair for Kartell (1996); Dr. Scud Fly Swatter for Alessi (1998); La Marie Chair for Kartell (1998); Miss C.O.C.O. Folding Chair for Cassina (1998); Gnome Stools for Kartell (1999); Bubble Club Sofa for Kartell (2000); Hudson Chair for Emeco (2000); Louis Ghost Chair for Kartell (2002); and Guns Lamp for Flos (2005).

In addition to furniture, electronics, and product design, Starck has tackled several larger-scale designs, like the Alhóndiga Cultural & Leisure Centure in Bilbao (2010), Port Adriano Harbor in Palma de Mallorca (2012), Apple CEO Steve Jobs’s yacht (2012), P.A.T.H Prefabricated Homes for Riko (2013), and Le Nuage Sports Center in Montpellier (2014), among many others.

Starck’s work can be found in most European and American museums, including the Musée National d’Art Moderne and Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, MoMA and the Brooklyn Museum in New York, Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, and Design Museum London. The Pompidou Center hosted a Starck retrospective in 2003. His many awards are too numerous to name.

Italian furniture manufacturer Driade was founded in 1968 by designers Enrico Astori, Antonia Astori, and Adelaide Acerbi. The company was built on three important principles: project planning, execution and advertising. Enrico established himself as art director, while Antonia was the designer and architect, and Adelaide was in charge of the brand’s image and communication. Their ultimate goal was to introduce experimentation into mass-produced products. Driade's early successes came through collaborations with cutting-edge Italian designers like De Pas, D’Urbino & Lomazzi, Enzo Mari, Nanda Vigo, and Lella and Massimo Vignelli. As the company grew, the roster of designers expanded internationally.

During the 1980s, Driade hired prolific French designer Philippe Starck, who designed many iconic pieces and influenced the company's general aesthetic. Iconic Driade designs by Starck include Miss Dorn Chair (1980), the three-legged Costes Armchair (1984), J. Série Lang Chair (1986), Lola Mundo Chair (1988), and Vicieuse Coffee Table (1992), to name a few.

In 1983, Driade published its first furniture manual, which was sold at news-stands. In 1988, the company moved its headquarters to a new building designed by Antonia in Fossadello, near Piacenza. In the mid-1990s, the DriadeStore collection was introduced as a collection of items for everyday living targeted at a younger demographic.

Since the beginning, Driade aimed to work with designers who were able to anticipate new lines of research and trends in order to design unique products for the home, gardens, and public spaces.  Over the course of the company’s history, Driade has collaborated with a wealth of high-profile designers, such as Atelier Oï, Ron Arad, Claudio Bellini, Iluis Clotet, Toyo Ito, Fabrio Novembre, Bořek Šípek, George Sowden, Oscar Tusquets, and Marco Zanuso Jr., among others. Notable designs include Antonia Astori’s Oikos (1972); Enzo Mari’s Delfina Chair (1979, winner of Compasso d’Oro); Alessandro Mendini’s Sabrina Sofa (1982); Bořek Šípek’s Jansky Chair (1986); Enzo Mari’s LegatoTable (2001, winner of Compasso d’Oro); Dong’s Adelaide Tableware (2008); Arad’s MT3 Rocking Chair (2008, winner of Compasso d’Oro); and Novembre’s Nemo Chair (2010).

In 2013, Driade was purchased by Italian Creation Group, an Italian industrial holding company. In 2014, architect David Chipperfield was appointed the new Art Director. In 2016, Chipperfield introduced the Driade Living Room 2016. Designers for the collection include Philippe Starck, Konstantin Grcic, Naoto Fukasawa, Lievore Altherr Molina, Fredrikson Stallard, and Ludovica+Roberto Palomba.