Starck's Louis Ghost: Kartell's Polycarbonate Against the Copies

A Louis XV armchair rendered in transparent plastic, moulded in a single piece: in 2002, Philippe Starck delivered Kartell a bestseller of contemporary design. Twenty years on, the Louis Ghost is also one of the most copied, and polycarbonate forgives the imitators nothing.

Kartell and the single piece

Kartell has produced the Louis Ghost since 2002; the chair is injection-moulded in one continuous piece of polycarbonate, with no gluing or assembly, hence its resistance to knocks and its hold outdoors. The catalogue runs from crystal to smoked tints and opaque colours, alongside its little sister without armrests, the Victoria Ghost.

What gives the copy away

The copy is most often made of acrylic or lower-grade polycarbonate: bubbles, milky flow lines, a bluish cast; it yellows and scratches faster. The original carries the Kartell logo moulded into the material beneath the seat, along with Starck's name, and it sits with real weight in the hand. On a copy, the armrests flex when you lean on them; on the original, they do not move.

Price and verdict

New, a Louis Ghost sits between €250 and €330; the copy between €50 and €90. Second-hand there is little interest: the plastic keeps its scratches and trades only just below new. One exception: colours dropped from the catalogue, which resell at the price of new. Verdict: buy new, or a rare colour in very good condition; never a copy, which will age badly.

Spotted a transparent chair on a terrace? Scan it on Beyit: Kartell or copy, tint, new price and second-hand value.