Designer Philippe Starck was born on January 18, 1949, in Paris, France. After graduating from the Camondo Art School in Paris in 1968, he founded his first design firm. From 1969 to 1973, he served as art director for Pierre Cardin, where he was responsible for interior and product design. He subsequently gained popularity for his work on the interiors of various restaurants, clubs, and cafes, and in 1979 founded Starck Products in the United States. In 1982, he catapulted himself into the spotlight by designing the interiors of the residence of then-French President François Mitterrand and Café Coste. The "COSTES" chairs he designed for the cafe were particularly well-received. Since then, he has designed interiors for hotels such as the Royalton and Paramount in New York, as well as a wide range of products for major corporations, including furniture, lighting fixtures, and kitchenware.

He has worked on the global store design for Jean Paul Gaultier, and in Japan, the former Marunouchi Nakadori store was designed by Starck. He created a surreal world view with ping-pong ball chandeliers and fabric-covered interiors.

Other projects he has worked on in Japan include the design of the Asahi Beer Super Dry Hall in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, stationery for 7-Eleven, prototype digital cameras for Fujifilm, and prototype furniture for Sony.

In 2013, together with Alain Juppé, mayor of Bordeaux, France, he unveiled a prototype for PIBAL, a completely new concept vehicle called a motorbike scooter.