Famed for making everyday household items serious style statements, the french designer Philippe Starck just launched a brand new collection. Lou collection expresses playful anthropomorphic qualities and consists of a seating collection with armchairs and sofas. Now that he has unveiled the models, it’s time to meet the specifics behind the designs.
See also: PARIS EVENTS THIS MAY 2016
The Lou family, bold as Starck has made us used to, is a seating collection defined by its sculptural shapes and protruding arms. ‘Lou eat’ and ‘Lou think’ are an extension of Philippe Starck’s earlier ‘Lou read’ chair for Driade. They both are upholstered in leather or pony, and draw upon the original framework, which contains an anthropomorphic outline.
‘Lou think’ uses an elongated backrest and rounded hooded roof, that acts as a light shade. The bizarre nature of the design aims to challenge the boundaries of ones preconceived notion of what a chair can be.
‘Lou eat’ is a small armchair that was conceived as a dinning chair. It expresses a similar form to ‘lou read’ but uses softer lines, making it the most versatile option within the series. The protruding arms, however, look to hungrily invite the spectator to sit within its enveloping structure. Starck looks to subvert the design’s original intention by declaring that ‘lou eat is not a chair, it is an animal-like sculpture that could eat you.’
Philippe Starck has also designed another furniture piece. The ‘wow’ sofa builds upon this idea of comfort, by introducing a luxurious modular system that includes chaise longues and corner elements conceived to define multiple layouts.
The designer, who previously created a motorbike for French motorcycle manufacturer Voxan, had it’s Lou collection as well as the ‘cinemascope’ armchair and ‘wow’ sofa were all debuted at Salone del Mobile 2016.
See also: WEEKEND IN PARIS: TOP 4 DEPARTMENT STORES
