Karim Rashid

He pursued graduate design studies in Naples, Italy, with Ettore Sottsass and others, then moved to Milan for one year at the Rodolfo Bonetto Studio. On his return to Canada, he worked for seven years with KAN Industrial Designers. While at KAN, he also co-founded and designed the Babel Fashion Collection and North from 1985-91. He opened his own practice in New York City in 1993. 

He has worked for numerous clients globally such as Prada, Giorgio Armani, Foscarini, Guzzini, Zanotta, Estee Lauder, Issey Miyake and during the years he won numerous awards like The Good Design Award (2003) for the Kurve Chair for Neinkamper and the I.D. Magazine?s Annual Design Review (2002). He has over 70 objects in permanent collections and his design work has been exhibited in many art museums in the USA (Museum of Modern Art, New York, Chicago Athenaeum, Chicago; Miami Museum of Contemporary Art), in Europa (British Design Museum, London,UK; Groningen Museum, Groningen, Holland) and in the rest of the world (Tokyo Gas, Tokyo, Japan). 

He has been a juror for several international competitions and a contributing writer for design periodicals. He was a full-time Associate Professor in Industrial Design for 10 years at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pratt Institute, Rhode Island School of Design, and the Ontario College of Art and lectures internationally. 

Karim has released two books, "I Want To Change The World" on Rizzoli Universe, 2001, and the International Design Yearbook 18, for Laurence King Publishing, UK as well as having curated two CDs on Seattle boutique label, Neverstop.

Currently, Karim is working on his second book for Rizzoli Universe, titled Evolution.