Karim Rashid | Designer People
Karim Rashid | Designer People
Written by Amy Devers
Karim Rashid
Karim Rashid has said of his design agenda that he wishes to reach as many people as possible. Coming from anyone else, that would be a generic, hyperbolic mission statement. Coming from Karim, it’s an actual line item on his daily to-do list.
With a portfolio that runs the gamut from high-end, high-concept interiors, to mass-market utilitarian objects, and distribution in every corner of the globe and every slot in the market place, his impact is undeniable. As multi-faceted as his design practice, Karim, the man, is also a globalover, DJ Kreemy, and a media-savvy flamboyant character adding sauce and flavor to the casserole of designers in today’s oven.
What stands out for me is that the man is driven. Scratch that. Hyper-driven. At any given point in time he’s got a dizzying array of projects going all over the globe. Just following his twitter feed is exhausting. The man is PRO-LIF-IC. (I don’t even know how to stretch the powers of punctuation to emphasize that enough.)
Here’s a sample of the current dizzying array:
-just showcased Corian Smart-ologic house in Milan
–Naples metro station will open in 3 weeks
–Bobble water bottle was launched last week
-just completed a jewelry shop in Singapore (Cupid Jewels)
–Pebble collection for 3M
Careem by Karim Rashid for Council
–Coming out : Rubber boots in Taiwan, chocolates in turkey, hotel in Berlin, sex shop in Berlin, laptop in Taiwan, aromatizer for Lexon in France, new watches for Alessi, tiles in spain, new chair at ICFF called Careem for Council, new chairs at ICFF called Blos for Slide, Italy, new water bottle and smoothie branded and designed for Paris baguette, bobble just released last week, hotel in Bangkok, lounge in Bangkok, new chair for XO called Kareames, and …. (that is an actual excerpt of an email from the designer himself!)
Wow. Prolificacy on that level makes me wonder if there ought to be a new line item on the global Census form. Have you been reached by Karim Rashid? Yes. –AD
This blog post was originally written for the premiere of Designer People | Karim Rashid and published on Ovation.com April 2010. I have made a few edits and updated the links.
Designer People airs on Ovation in the U.S. and on 19 different networks internationally.
Designer People showcases the world’s leading artists in architectural design, communication design, industrial design, interior design, and fashion. Each episode focuses on on the creative insight of an acclaimed designer whose work shapes our lives and our surroundings.
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