Karim Rashid is one of the most innovative minds of this century. The Cairo-born industrial designer, of an Egyptian father and English mother, emigrated to Canada where he was raised in Toronto.
Rashid's influence on design has stretched around the globe, with Time magazine describing him as the "most famous industrial designer in all the Americas." And it's no surprise the magazine gave the designer such an accolade, Karim's work is in 20 permanent collections around the world, with his work also having been exhibited at the MoMA and Centre Pompidou.
Interiors for restaurants and hotels around the world, from Athens to Berlin, Philadelphia to Naples, Rashid's talents know no bounds. The world's biggest brands, including Deutsche Bank and Audi, have all enlisted on Rashid's first-rate skills.
As well as being known for his personal aesthetic (Rashid often wears either all white or all pink clothes) the designer is known for his reworkings of the humble bottle. It all began in March 2010, when Rashid released the Bobble, a bottle he created to filter tap water as the user drinks from the bottle. Then in 2013, Rashid created an exquisite aceted glass bottle for the American vodka brand Anestasia.
In 2016, Pepsi called upon the designer to create a set of aluminium bottles. This month, Rashid released a bottle for Canadian winery Stratus Vineyards. For the design, Karim cut up the shape of a wine bottle and then pieced it back together as an offset stack, to make it easier to hold and so it decants while pouring.
Coming to auction next week is the ''Love Seat'' that Rashid designed for Veuve Cliquot. The limited edition baby pink moulded fibreglass with chrome pedestal piece was inspired by the works of 20th century Finnish designer Eero Saarinen.
This piece will be featured in Chorley's Modern & Contemporary Art & Design sale on 23rd and 24th May, 2017. Check out the full catalogue here.
