Hell Raiser by Karim Rashid (detail)
I met Karim Rashid in our little store many, many moons ago, after he gave a brilliant lecture on his re-design of the Canadian Post Box. This was before Karim began to build himself as a brand, wearing white (or pink), signing everything with a flourish, being a DJ, and inundating us with his own branding semiotics, all the while telling us how he wanted to change the world.
The problem with building an industrial design brand based on graphics/semiotics is that at some point you become your own product, with a specific dating and a specific shelf life. Great designers, like great artists, show clear periods of growth and plateaus (imagine Picasso’s periods, for example). If you market yourself based only on a specific design (or designs) motif at some point you need to change or else you go (as famous Las Vegan Artist Tim Bavington says) Tits Up.
More than likely this is the reason why Alessi has not previously gone into in-depth functional designs from Mr. Rashid. Functional objects can only handle so much fashion before it interferes with function, and fashion becomes dated. So while Mr. Rashid aptly designed product for most every major label in the world, Alessi had a notable lack of Karim’s designs. Except for the Kaj Wristwatches that were, after all, form and color.
This being said, Mr. Rashid and Alessi have recently collaborated on a series of baskets and trays entitled, “Hellraiser.” The series is notable not only because it is cool, but it is also a divergence not just for Mr. Rashid, but also from the standard Alessi repeating-motifs-in-steel-designs such as Girotondo. Alessi as of late has been researching the role of computerized manufacturing in developing overall structure of product. Look at the new ‘Blossom’ basket by Elena Manferdini, for an excellent example.
Congratulations to Alessi and Karim- let’s hope this is the beginning of a fruitful partnership, no pun intended.
The new Spring 2011 is available for May delivery at UNICAHOME.
Blossom Basket: good design, extraordinary process.
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