xO. An old cognac? “Kisses and hugs”? No. Look again. Don’t try to apply a known pattern. It’s a cross and a circle. If you like rebus, you can even read it “Cross the line”. See? Now it’s obvious. That’s what design is all about: a new look on things. Putting together forms that do not seem to go along naturally and see that, in fact, they do. Like a cross and a circle. Simple, graphic – and yet unexpected.

xO master the rich lexicon of time-honoured wood joiners but also confidently speaks several other languages; from the technical lingo of mould-makers and plastic injectors to have vernacular of ceramists and metal alchemists. This kaleidoscopic vision of its business and Starck’s unwavering support are the two principal components of xO’s success.

Whenever we discover an object or a place designed by Philippe Starck imagination, we enter a world of wall-to-wall imagination, suprises and fabulous fantasy. For more than three decades, this unique and multifarious creator, designer and architect has been a part of our daily lives by creating unconventional objects whose purpose is to be “good” before being beautiful, and iconic destinations that take the members of his “cultural tribe” out of themselves and, most importantly, towards something better.

Philippe Starck designs his hotels and restaurants in the same way a director makes a film, developing scenarios that will lift people out of the everyday and into an imaginative and creative mental world. His hotels have become timeless icons and have added a new dimension to the global cityscape.

With Philippe Starck innovative designs, large production runs, innovative techniques and new ways of selling, xO still cuts the invisible lines defining the design industry.