Designer Starck wants to fight the "barbarians"

By Jo Winterbottom

MILAN (Reuters) - Philippe Starck, whose minimalist interiors star in luxury hotels worldwide, thinks design is less important now than taking on the "barbarians" -- those not helping to care for the environment.

"I believe we are definitely in a time of barbarians and therefore it is less important to talk about design or art. Priority is to be given to political action in order to fight barbarians," he told Reuters in an interview last week.

Paris-born Starck, who also designs useable household items with a twist like a striking long-legged steel citrus squeezer, considers barbarians those who do not seek to preserve life and the earth.

The designer, who decorated the private apartments of former French President Francois Mitterand, said people should only buy essentials.

"The most positive action is to refuse...to buy. But if you need to, the minimum is ethical. To go back to the essence of things and ask myself: do I need this?" he said.

Getting that message across, however, is hard because "I am only a designer and each letter of the message I want to give is made of objects and places I design. So it takes a long time to share my ideas."

"I am not a politician who can change the world with one law, I am not a singer who can change the world with one song, I am not a journalist who can change the world with one article," he added.

Starck's current projects include designing an environmentally friendly mega-yacht that is "inspired by fish," and includes a revolutionary hull that will stop it making waves even at speeds of up to 25 knots -- roughly the pace of a sports car at full pelt.