Philippe Starck “Ed Archer” dining chairs for Driade, 1986, set of 7
Philippe Starck designed this model for Driade in 1986. The structure is a tubular steel shell entirely wrapped in leather with contrasting topstitching, forming the seat, backrest and front legs in a single continuous surface. The single rear leg is cast polished aluminum, tapering to a sharp point — the defining formal gesture of the design and the clearest expression of its postmodern provocation.
The chair is impressed with the manufacturer’s mark “Aleph by Starck” on the underside of the seat. Aleph was Driade’s experimental design label, launched in the 1980s to produce more radical, author-driven pieces — the imprint under which Starck’s most iconic furniture of the decade was released.
The set includes examples with and without the leather lace finish at the base.
Height: 38.98 in (99 cm)
Width: 18.31 in (46.5 cm)
Depth: 23.23 in (59 cm)
Seat Height: 18.51 in (47 cm)
1986
1980-1989
Leather and aluminium
Lonigo, IT
Our in-house atelier carefully restored the item, with meticulous attention to structural integrity, materials, and finish. The process was guided by deep respect for its authenticity, balancing technical intervention with historical sensitivity.