Edited by Luana Martino
Karim, you are known worldwide for bringing design into a sensual, fluid and futuristic dimension. How would you define your aesthetic language today?
I call it 'sensual minimalism'. It is devoid of excess but deeply human. Every object and space speaks. It has a semantic language. I try to preserve a sense of truth in design without overloading it, creating pieces that connect emotionally and sensually.
Colour is one of your distinguishing features.
What role does it play in your creative process? Is there one tone that represents you more than the others?
Colour is emotion, psychology and spirituality. It is uplifting and energising. White, my favourite, is pure, spiritual, sophisticated and open. It eliminates distractions and makes form shine. I often start with white to capture the essence of a design, then add colour to intensify the experience. White is not absence, it is a strong and active presence, the ultimate canvas.
Live between art, technology and design: where do these three worlds meet today?
They merge into experience. Design today must be as emotional as art, made possible by technology and rooted in human needs. This fusion creates objects and spaces that are immersive, intelligent and deeply personal.
How important is the 'humanisation' of design in today's world? Your objects almost seem to breathe...
It is essential. Design must reflect emotion, scale and human needs beyond function. Model soft, sensual, reductive and emotional forms. They do not just resonate.
If you had to describe your style through a city, which one would you choose and why?
New York. It is pluralistic, global, energetic and never still. I have always felt international, belonging everywhere and nowhere, and New York reflects this. Although I have little time to experience it, I absorb its energy by osmosis. It is chaotic, inspiring and alive.
In an increasingly standardised world, you continue to propose bold shapes. What drives you not to follow trends but to create them?
Design must transcend fashions. I draw from the fluid and 'techno-organic' reality in which we live, a world that is borderless, digital and ever-changing. Trends often recycle; I seek original, pluralistic forms rooted in the 'now' and the 'next'.
Your work ranges from interior design to fashion, from industrial products to hotels. What unites such different universes?
I am an industrial designer, but I have built a multidisciplinary practice. Like the Bauhaus or the Italian designers of the 1960s and 1970s, I move fluidly between scales and disciplines. I design everything from objects to buildings, because life itself is not compartmentalised. Everything is connected.
You often talk about the 'democratisation of design'. What does making design accessible mean to you?
Everyone deserves a good design. Today, technology allows high quality production at low cost. The idea of luxury is changing; a cheap watch can tell the time better than a Rolex. Democratising design means creating beautiful, functional and intelligent objects that improve the daily lives of everyone, not just the elite.
Is there a project you consider particularly intimate and personal?
Yes, the next kAIna marble sculpture for White Carrara. It explores our evolving identity in a technology-driven future, while embracing the timeless emotional power of natural stone. It is deeply personal, symbolising our organic and digital duality.
Your look is a visual manifesto: how much does your personal style dialogue with your design vision?
My style reflects my philosophy. I even wrote Design Your Self about it. Each of us is original, with a unique DNA, why not express it visually? Fashion, objects, interiors are all part of one creative voice. Originality is not only
possible, it is necessary.
What advice would you give to a young designer who wants to make an impact without losing their identity?
Be bold. Take risks. Stay true to yourself. Don't chase trends. Create your own. Innovation comes from experimentation, and identity is your most powerful asset.
What does 'living in the future' mean to you?
It means freeing design from historical archetypes. The digital age demands new forms: fluid, experiential, intuitive. We must build a new visual language, shaped by technology, not nostalgia.
Which everyday object, in your opinion, would most need to be redesigned?
Lots of air conditioners, hair dryers, blenders, irons, toasters. I would redesign an electric car, a wireless sound system, a scooter, a laptop, even a hospital or a museum.
The possibilities for rethinking the ordinary are endless. Have you ever created something by thinking first of emotion rather than function?
Always. Emotion is the starting point, function follows. A form should first excite, then serve. Emotion is function.
