Described as the only designer to have reached the “status of a rockstar”, Philippe Starck is an equally praised and criticised genius. Modern though distrustful of progress, cautiously “self promoting” but contemptuous of the press, Starck has built an empire of design on fertile, contradictory foundations. Indeed, Starck’s design crosses different genres and challenges any traditional classification: from chic New York hotels to toothbrushes. According to Starck, the creation of beautiful objectsand structures is only a potential by-product of his highest mission, that of creating a honest, “loving” and user-respectful design.