What criteria should a product meet to be truly ‘sustainable’? And how should our economy change to better support people and planet?
Philippe Starck may be the world’s most celebrated and influential designers. From juice-squeezers to electric bikes, personal windmills to pre-fab ecological houses, hotel interiors to space habitation modules, his work is guided by a vision of creation as the duty—poetic, political, rebellious, benevolent, pragmatic and subversive—to make life better for the largest number of people possible, and of course our planet.
“Sustainability is inside everything in nature, yet we are happy with things that aren't... we can no longer accept that! Our decisions affects us all.”
In an exclusive interview on the digital format AXOR Futures, Starck shared his vision of what a sustainable future looks like. He believes in ‘getting the most out of less’ and aims to invent objects that help improve our lives while embracing nature.
According to Starck, consumers want to live with their purchases and not throw them away on a whim. He considers the fashion industry as bringing “shame” to our consumer society, given how it sets new trends several times a year. Above all, “before thinking about sustainability, the first question should be: do I really need this product?” he stresses.
Together with AXOR, in an enduring collaboration of more than 25 years, Philippe Starck has helped to revolutionise bathroom design. Radically minimalist in design that focuses the attention on water itself.
In an 18-page, science-driven report, Hotel Designs, Arigami, AXOR and whole host of contributors, have put into words water’s role in shaping a more sustainable hotel design and hospitality landscape. In the report, designers and scientists alike have investigated how the perception of luxury is shifting, while also identifying tech-savvy products that are vastly helping designers and hoteliers make more meaningful decisions when specifying products in bathrooms.