I met the guru today! Yep, Karim Rashid himself!
He gave a lecture about design at the Cairo Opera House and he was just brilliant.
He defined Design, talked about how Method started with 3 people and half a million USD capital and jumped to 400 million in 4 years and how design had a crucial role in this. How the Oh chair came out and why it came out his way. 
How the change in attitudes and behaviour could emerge or shut down a percentage of an industry. He said that the big companies especially competition is very tough and to stay on top, they have to remain on the cutting edge.
What I liked the most was his statement "Technology has empowered individuals".. that is those who use their personal computers to produce music or art, blogs, small companies..
I read this morning in his karimanifesto that part "My real desire is to see people live in the modus of our time, to participate in the contemporary world, and to release themselves from nostalgia, antiquated traditions, old rituals, kitsch and the meaningless." ..... It makes so much more sense when you hear it direcly from him, that style relates to the past while design relates to the present and in all his designs, he's reflecting our current situation.
In brief, it was very insightful, I know I came out of that hall happier and more inspired than when I got in.
Thank you Karim for such an inspiring presentation and for being so nice and signing my book :)
However.. during the press conference, he had to hear opinions from the kind I normally identify as bizantine discussions, people who have tiny visions and who probably looked at the guy in the pink suit and the silver shoes and thought he was crazy! You see karim.. "we" think we know best.. "we" think we are always right.. that's why "we" are so much behind! so.. Karim, don't let them get to you.. float above the bullshit.. it's survival 101 in Cairo!
BTW: Karim Rashid has established concepts and is currently designing furniture for 6 Egyptian companies.. yes.. we're trying to export and we need new concepts to be competitive..
Bottom line.. I haven't had that big of a smile on my face since the solar eclipse last year! It was great :)
And remember fellow bloggers.. Technology has empowered the individuals :D
PS: I know the quality of the photos suck.. I didn't know I could bring a cam.. and apparently.. I could've.. I so missed my canon today, the focusing, the exposure, the touch of the lens.. I hate the phone's camera!
Tue, 02/13/2007 - 01:34
well, it is great to hear that you got to meet one of your favourite artists/designers in the flesh. :-)
Do you know more about his deal with Egyptian manufacturers and why did the chose him over others ?
Sun, 02/18/2007 - 09:13
Looks like a new cinema has just opened in Cairo. It is quite expensive to get in and you don't really know what movie you will be watching until you are in your seat. There are days the movie is exciting and you get to see people throwing shoes at each other and there are days when it is quite dull. All the movies have not passed the censor and some of them are cheap remakes of the original ones. You can even bring in your own popcorn or nuts if you have a "Wasta"! If you don't like the movie that is showing you can fall asleep. You even get paid to attend. Either way you are spending someone else's money. The poor Egyptian tax payer remember them?
come check out the pictures on my blog :
http://egyptiankangaroo.blogspot.com/
Sun, 02/18/2007 - 21:53
Mostafa, it was great meeting him. About the deal, I know the furniture exporters have just been back from the IMM in Cologne and I don't believe it was a big success. Karim's name sells well, so I think it's a good step to sign with him. He works with a lot of small companies, and they grow big.. a strategy may be??
Kangaroo boy, I'd really appreciate it if you don't advertise your blog posts in my comments.. thanks
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