Design's Eternal Optimist

identity magazine catches up with the prolific Egyptian born designer – who was guest of honour at the opening of Casa Milano in Dubai – and talks past, present and future projects.

- Penny Mccormick

Industrial designer Karim Rashid often called the ‘Prince of Plastic’, pioneered ‘blobular’ forms in the 1990s using alloy and glass, when signature elements of his designs were folded ribbon and figure-of-eight shapes. He believes in ‘sensual minimalism’ and amorphous objects, and in ‘dematerializing’ the way we live. This year has been a prolific one: designing glassware for Krosno, the Koncord stool and Jet table for Slide, and a further Chelsea collection for BoConcept – just some of the many creations the designer has in production.

Glass is an amazing material; maybe my favourite material because it is biodegradable and the possibilities are endless. The Krosno D’sign collaboration comes about through forwarding momentum; reimagining the sculptural possibilities of glass with an eye toward the future. Krosno was very progressive and I was determined to design a simple but monumental line with integral colors that last and are machine-washable.

The Chelsea collection for BoConcept epitomizes my design language of fluid organic forms. I want to remove hard surfaces and sharp edges to create visual and tactile comfort and an arresting sense of calm. These are a must – particularly in urban homes that tend to be smaller. I named it Chelsea to mark the 20 years I lived in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York.

I designed the Koncord stool ten years ago. The Jet table is a new addition to the collection to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of my design collaboration with Slide. Koncord and Jet give the idea of being on the move: the aerospace name, the ergonomic shape, the futuristic design. And with the unique lacquer finishing, the colors fade from silver to purple depending on the position.