Phillipe Starck

“I have fought all my life against macho products,” says French designer Philippe Starck of his design philosophy.

He is, of course, also referring to his new furniture collection for Spanish brand Andreu World.

Not only does the designer tackle societal and ecological issues with the designs in the new collection, but also sexuality – something which Starck sees as the biggest challenge in design today.

The new collection, titled Stories, features plywood furniture with rounded edges that can be constructed from a pack without glue or screws, which Starck describes as having a more asexual design aesthetic and being at “the maximum of ecology”. 

Of course, the use of plywood is not only sustainable but also more affordable, making the products more accessible to all.

“You want to make something which you can be proud of – to make things well,” he said of his drive to create eco-friendly, democratic designs.

“I have fought all my life against macho products. I have worked a lot to kill the macho side. To make products more woman-friendly and for 15 years, I’ve made products that are gender-fluid.

“Asexuality will be the biggest revolution because people today feel very alone,” he added. “That’s why, when I can, I try to design […] by taking sex completely out. The market of asexuality will be so revolutionary because everything we have produced in the world is driven by sexuality, everything. What will be human production without sexuality? That is very, very interesting.”

via