While his name hasn't been thrown around as much in the mainstream compared to other designers such as Apple's Jonathan Ive or the iconic Charles and Ray Eames, French designer Philippe Starck has developed quite a reputation for himself with clean and futuristic designs.
From lemon squeezers and dining chairs to mega-yachts and wind turbines, this talented designer has seen it all over the past few decades in practice and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Among one of his more recent projects is a bicycle helmet inspired by more traditional "Cafe Racer" -- style motorcycle helmets.
In collaboration with the California-based bicycle company Giro, the aluminum S+ARCKBIKE helmets trade the more common foam inserts typically seen in bicycle helmets for sustainably-harvested Portuguese cork.
"The increasing power of man and machine create new needs and new ergonomics that I have decided to take on with Giro, the most innovative player in this industry," says Starck.
The helmets have been certified as suitable head protection for speeds of up to 28 mph (45 k/hr) by the EAPC and also feature a full visor (motorcycle inspiration?) to protect the rider's face from the not-so-welcome random bug or other projectiles.
According to Giro by S+ARCKBIKE, "Cork is also naturally water-resistant and offers significant anti-microbial properties. The shell of the helmet is formed in lightweight aluminum that can be easily recycled at the end of the helmet's lifespan."
Starck is no stranger to either bicycling or motorcycling. In fact, he has famously said that if everybody ditched their cars in favor of motorcycles, the roads would be much safer and the environment cleaner. Regardless if you agree or not, it's safe to say that the man loves his bikes!
Starck was also known for having been good friends with the late Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple. Jobs hired Starck to design his family's mega-yacht titled Venus before he went into have his liver transplant surgery in 2008. The yacht cost over $132 million to build and has an estimated upkeep cost of $13 million per year.
The Starck-designed yacht is well-known for essentially being "a floating Apple device." The captain controls the ship via a row of multiple iMacs and the exterior of the boat features a large amount of aluminum and specially-engineered glass much like an iPhone.
Sadly, Jobs was never able to set sail on the Yacht before his death. However, the ship's name "Venus" comes from the Greek-Roman goddess for love and he gave it to his wife Laurene shortly before passing.
