Karim Rashid — Industrial Designer & Innovator. Changing How We View Design.
It’s a tough-truth, but in today’s society design is under-appreciated and it’s unarguable that increasingly people pay less attention to both the importance and presence of design in their daily lives. However, every so often a mix of passion, energy and innovation comes together and the industry takes note. Karim Rashid is the embodiment of that sentiment, and his designs have helped reinforce the importance of good design in a wider social context.
Karim in one of his iconic chairs
in Cairo, Egypt in 1960, Karim moved across the world to Toronto, Canada at a very young age. Here his ambition knew no bounds and his imagination reigned free. By age 25 he had co-founded and designed for the Babel Fashion Collection and North between the years of 1985 and 1991, only pausing to open his own private design studio in New York City, the following year in 1992.
At 32, Karim Rashid had established himself as a key player in the interior design industry. He had his own studio, a wealth of experience and keen ability to bring spaces and products alive with the slightest detail. (To put that in context, it took Giorgio Armani seven years longer to be have his own studio). Some of Karim’s most ingenious creations are his famous chairs, as seen above.
More recently, he has been bringing his award-winning talent to the Temptation Spa & Resort in Cancun, Mexico, where he has been charged with designing a total remodel of the four star resort.
According to Karim himself; “For the longest time design only existed for the elite and for a small insular culture. I have worked hard for the last 20 years trying to make design a public subject”.
Be sure to listen in on Karim’s presentation at the British Institute of Interior Design’s Conference 2016 where he and a number of other renowned speakers will be taking part in a conference which if you’re a design buff, should not be missed.
Karim’s designs are timeless and universal. From watches to tableware, his artistic touch has been portrayed in an extraordinarily wide range of designs. Nothing illustrates this more than his lasting presence in NYC, where he has designed everything from manhole-covers, to a Giorgio Armani concept store. His most famous and inspirational works reside on display in some of the most historic museums across the globe, including the Museum of Modern Art NY, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
Karim’s innovative designs were inspirational to the Scriba team in the making of our product, his approach to product design of thinking outside the box was a core principal in our own design process.
Scriba is a revolutionary, award-winning stylus that is designed to fit your hand. Find your creative flow with unique Squeeze-Motion technology: Scriba controls line weight and app functionality by bending in response to your touch — just squeeze. Available now on Amazon. Find out more at getscriba.com.
