As the newest restaurant he’s designed, for Hong Kong’s DFS, opens in Venice, the Frenchman talks mega yachts, Steve Jobs, why he stays away from fashion, and designing for Xiaomi despite not owning a mobile phone or computer Philippe Starck is removing the large cardboard sleeve of a Taschen book on Venice that’s on a coffee table in front of him. He looks at the sleeve intently, examining the folds that allow it to envelope the hardback, but also curiously allow the sleeve to stand up by virtue of another fold.