Philippe Starck

PHILIPPE STARCK (Paris, 1949) for Disform.
Chair "Miss Dorn". 1980's.
Black steel frame.
Seat upholstered in cotton.
Measurements: 70 x 53 x 48 cm.

The "Miss Dorn" chair explores a minimalist aesthetic, focused on pure geometric shapes. Built on a black lacquered tubular steel tripod base, its silhouette is low and compact. The design is characterized by a circular upholstered seat that appears to float above the elemental structure. The backrest is a simple tubular arch that completes the composition.

"Miss Dorn" is an exercise in formal simplification. It represents the reduction of a chair to its essential components, creating a sculptural piece from the interplay of lines and a single circular plane.

Dorn was born out of a collaboration between Starck and the 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."

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.