Philippe Starck

PHILIPPE STARCK (Paris, 1949) for Disform.
Chair "Miss Wirt". 1980's.
Black steel frame.
Back and seat in cotton.
Measurements: 113 x 56 x 46 cm.

The design of the "Miss Wirt" chair is defined by a tripod structure in black lacquered tubular steel that rises to culminate in a very high and theatrical backrest. "Miss Wirt" plays with proportions. It looks like a minimalist and fragile throne, almost a drawing in space. It combines the industrial hardness of tubular metal with the simplicity and warmth of cotton fabric. Its radical design and sculptural presence have made it a collector's item, present in the permanent collections of museums such as MoMA and the Brooklyn Museum.

Wirt was the result of a collaboration between Starck and Spanish publisher Disform to create a series of furniture that became icons of postmodern design. Characterized by their structural simplicity, use of industrial materials and evocative names (many of them inspired by characters from Philip K. Dick's science fiction novel Ubik), these designs fuse minimalism with sculptural ingenuity. Standout pieces from this collaboration include "Miss Wirt," "Miss Dorn" and "Wendy B" (also known as "Wendy Wright").

Starck is the son of André Starck, an aeronautical engineer who has often inspired Philippe's work. He studied at the École Nissim de Camondo in Paris. While working for Adidas, Starck created his first industrial design company, Starck Product, which he later renamed Ubik, after the Philip K. Dick novel, and began working with manufacturers in Italy (Driade), Alessi, Kartell and internationally, including Drimmer in Austria, Vitra in Switzerland and Disform in Spain. In 1983, then French President François Mitterrand, on the recommendation of his Minister of Culture, Jack Lang, chose Starck to renovate the president's private apartments at the Elysée Palace. The following year he designed the Café Costes. Starck's output expanded to include furniture, decoration, architecture, street furniture, industry (wind turbines, photo booths), sanitary ware, kitchens, floor and wall coverings, lighting, household appliances, office equipment such as staplers, utensils, tableware, clothing, accessories, toys, glassware, graphic design and publishing, food, and vehicles for land, sea, air and space.