Karim Rashid says “divertente”
karim rashid kite chair
karim rashid kone cleaner
Karim Rashid was in Omaha last week and offered an insightful and entertaining chat with the audience, somewhat along the lines of a loosely structured monologue of thought. Despite some apparently contradictory comments, Rashid spoke of the democratization of design, centered on the recognition that all of human existence involves interaction with design. Rashid suggested that the more design focused on the function and aesthetic of the design, combined with an open-minded creative decision making process, the more democratic design was, because it then served the needs inherent in everyone’s experience of human existence.
In a fun expression of this ethos, Karim Rashid referred to “divertente,” which he applied to design that makes you feel alive and present. My only regret is that the Karim Rashid design that I would really like, the Kite chair, is (undemocratically) beyond my budget, although I can afford and have at home his Kone vacuum cleaner!
Written by Stuart
About the Author: Stuart isn't often heard divulging his shady history. This, unfortunately, is not one of those times.