Hark the Herald, Philippe Starck’s in your kitchen!
The Starck difference: Slovenian brand Gorenje partners with world-famous French designer Philippe Starck to create an integrated kitchen line that reflects the owner’s lifestyle and personality.
You can tell the Starck difference when you see it. Iconic French designer Philippe Starck has created luxury and everyday products that range from revolutionary mega-yachts and windmills to furniture and lemon squeezers. The tirelessly inventive designer has remained true to his mission/vision to make life better for the greatest number of people possible through objects being good before being beautiful. And now, Philippe Starck invades the Filipino kitchen through his first collection with Gorenje, which recently opened its first showroom at 165 Legazpi Street, Legazpi Village, Makati.
Designed by Starck, Defined by you
With Gorenje by S+arck kitchen line, Philippe Starck creates minimalist and versatile designs using sleek stainless steel and high-end reflective glass to match and reflect the owner’s lifestyle and personality. As Gorenje declares, “Designed by Starck and defined by you.”
“It’s very unique!” exclaims Ignatius David, a certified Starck fan and president of IODHome Inc., Philippine distributor of Gorenje. “I look at it and I feel I look better in the reflection. It’s not just a mirror, you’re in the appliance now. Mirror is probably not the first time somebody thought of it. But a straight mirror would probably look a little funny, like a normal mirror. But Starck put a little bit of sheen in it, which makes it like mystical or something. That’s the difference.”
Ignatius relates, “I’m quite surprised when people say, ‘Ah, it’s by Philippe Starck!’ I ask, ‘You know Philippe Starck?’ Who doesn’t know Philippe Starck? Some people just look at a Philippe Starck and they say, ‘All of it!’ They’ll take all of it because they like everything.”
He recalls watching a video of Starck’s interview during a big fair in Germany where Starck had a really big booth. Starck was wearing this super colorful pants and he was saying that he saw this cover in a restaurant and he bought it and turned it into pants. He wore it during the introduction of his new product line.”
With today’s rat race, fast-paced life, Gorenje believes, “Sometimes, life needs to be a little simpler. That’s why our story is simple yet significant; our thinking focused yet full of imagination; our dedication endless yet with a clear goal — creating life simplified.”
Simply Slovenian
The brand’s simple story began in the picture-pretty village of Gorenje in Slovenia. The Slovenian brand boasts a 70-year-old cherished history of durability, efficiency, and energy savings. Imagine, for instance, an innovative oven that distributes hot air evenly, with a monitoring device that cooks meat to perfection, and a steaming tool that brings in just enough moisture. Its Inverter technology allows food to retain its nutrients while the overall microwaving time is shorter, thus lowering energy consumption.
“Yes, our products are energy-efficient because they’re automatic,” Ignatius stresses. “Our appliances don’t have to work so hard so they don’t consume a lot of electricity.”
Truly, Gorenje makes life simple for homemakers so that they spend less time in the kitchen and more quality time with the family.
Why did it take all this time to bring Gorenje to Filipino households?
“They were more European before, but they’ve started to focus globally in the last five years,” Ignatius explains. “My father was at a fair last year and he saw the baked foods. There were a few meetings, we had to negotiate, it was a very big product line. We had to pick the products that we felt were a fit for Filipinos.”
“It took a little time to study this market because it’s a little different,” says Adrien Mousset, head of sales, Gorenje AEC. “But now is the right time because the country is developing a lot. There are a lot of condominiums. People are using less and less gas and more electricity. People are with their friends and families. They are no longer hiding their kitchens, they are proud to show their kitchens. We collaborate with many designers, and this is the big difference with our competitors. Like Starck and French designer Ora Ito (ranked by Wallpaper magazine as one of top 40 most influential designers under 40 years old). Gorenje is a small but very beautiful country in Europe — in the center of Europe, between Austria, Italy, and Croatia, that’s why we have inspirations from Italy, etc.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if more superior designer lines are coming, with the same high specs as Starck’s,” discloses Ignatius. “It’s really all about simplifying people’s lives — from the design to the innovative features to the selection of materials. Our goal is to be the brand of choice of Filipino families. Our appliances are technologically advanced, but our customers never have to choose between form and function because we have both. We want to give the best customer experience.”
For Gorenje, it’s that simple — no frills, just thrills!
* * *
Simply enjoy life as Gorenje offers 30-percent off on all appliances until Dec. 31. Visit the Gorenje showroom at 165 Legazpi St., Legazpi Village, Makati. Find out more about Gorenje on Facebook @gorenjeph or its website gorenje.ph.
