His studies and work have taken him around the world. Middle East (he was born in Lebanon), Europe, the United States, Asia: a mix of cultures and experiences that have forged his character and stylistic personality. Karim Habib, born 1970, after overseeing design for the BMW Group and Infiniti, has been Senior Vice President and Head of Kia Design Centre since 2019, and is the author of the “Opposites United” philosophy that guides the forms of the Korean brand’s new models.

Do you have any objects or places of reference from which you draw inspiration?

“Yes, I have several that belong to various categories. From cars that everyone loves, such as the Ferraris and Alfa Romeos of the Sixties and Seventies, to more niche ones like the 1992 Ford Focus Concept. I particularly adore traditional Japanese architecture, but Korea also always offers me great inspiration. I believe, for example, that the Audeum museum in Seoul is hugely inspiring. I also have a strong connection with Italy: I lived in Rome for a few months as a teenager and literally fell in love with the city to the point that it became a reference point for me.”

And if we talk about designers?

“In the automotive field, my favourite is Giorgetto Giugiaro, but if we broaden the scope, we can add Jean Nouvel, the master of contextual architecture Kengo Kuma, the Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, and the Danish designer Arne Jacobsen, born at the beginning of the 20th century. Returning to cars, it’s impossible not to think of the ultra-talented designers who worked for Pininfarina over the years and, naturally, Marcello Gandini.”

Is there a car or object you wish you’d designed?

“So many and it’s normal and right for someone in this profession to have cult objects. Starting with cars, certainly the 1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia GT, all the Ferraris created by Pininfarina between the Sixties and Seventies, the Lamborghini Miura and Espada. If I think of objects, the Grand Prix chair designed by Arne Jacobsen in the mid-Fifties comes to mind and, without doubt, the legendary Bialetti coffee maker.”

When did you realise you wanted to become a car designer?

“Quite early on. I even remember that as a child, for play, I created my own personal automotive brand. Then I grew up and began studying engineering: there I understood immediately that I would be much happier as a designer than as an engineer.”

Do you remember a turning point in your career?

“Well, when I started attending the ArtCenter College of Design, I understood it was the place for me. I loved everything about the school and that particular course of study. Meeting Chris Bangle was transformative: I’ve always thought he had an extraordinary personality, and he gave me the confidence I needed to become an automotive designer. He believed in my abilities.”

What are your hobbies and passions?

“At this point in my life with two small children, I don’t have much time to cultivate my hobbies. Family is extremely important to me: it’s with them that I spend most of my time and it’s to them I dedicate a great deal of my energy. Apart from this, I’m passionate about classic cars and architecture.”

Do you listen to music?

“I love music. I listen to it continuously and think it plays an important role in resolving certain conflicts and moods of mine. It’s difficult for me to identify a single artist I like: I believe my musical tastes are rather eclectic, but having grown up in Montreal, I feel the alternative scene in Canada shaped my preferences in this field.”

Are there any cities that are trending today?

“My city of wellbeing at the moment is Seoul, and I believe it has enormous potential. This place is a metropolis that’s also very much on-trend today, given the great quantity of culture and art. This great mix produces strong influences in my soul and fascinates it deeply.”

What’s a typical day like for the head of Kia design?

“A typical day should begin with lots of planning, but the truth is there’s no real typical day. I think every day is very different: we have so many projects and so many meeting places that every minute brings new challenges and opportunities and, often, wonderful little surprises.”

Where do you live now?

“I currently live outside Frankfurt and I like it. It’s quite a small city but, at the same time, it’s very international. Every month I go to Seoul, so I feel I live a bit in Korea as well and, as I said, I adore the city. I’m also connected to Los Angeles, where I am now (at the time of writing): I lived and studied here in the past, and things haven’t changed much from before. Of this city, I’ve always admired the amount of diversity you can encounter.”

The numerous projects he has worked on include bestsellers like the 2010 Kia Sportage and the iconic new Land Rover Defender and in June 2024 he was appointed head of Audi design. Born in 1971, Massimo Frascella has built up a distinguished career in car design starting from the Bertone body shop and modelling his stylistic approach around a “distinctly Italian” flair, blending classic taste and minimalism with a touch of provocation.

When did you decide you wanted to be a car designer?

“Fairly late on. It may seem strange but I’ve never been particularly interested in car technology, performance or driving. However, I’ve always had a deep love for aesthetics and art: when I was a boy I even tried my hand at oil painting. Then, as I was growing up, towards the end of high school my father had to change his car so we did the rounds of the dealers. That’s when I started to sketch car models and build them in polystyrene and Das. One day I came across some adverts for design schools in the Italian magazine Quattroruote and that was it: I wanted to leave for Turin as soon as possible. The only problem? I didn’t have enough money to enrol at the School of Applied Arts and Design (now IAAD, ed.) so I extended my military service so as to have a salary that would allow me to start studying. I remember that in my last year Boris Jacobs, the designer of the first Ford Focus, came to give us a talk: I was completely enthralled and realised that this was the path I wanted to follow.”

Can you point to a turning point in your career?

“My earliest experiences at Bertone and Ford between the end of the 90s and the beginning of the 2000s provided me with a solid foundation, but my time at Kia in Irvine, California, under Peter Schreyer, was truly a case of being in the right place at the right time. The company was undergoing a sea change, with a drive for innovation that gave me the opportunity to grow by working on multiple concept and production cars. I remember taking two weeks off, going to California and knocking on the doors of all the design studios to see if they had a place for me, and that’s how I ended up at Kia. Years later, the opportunity to redesign iconic cars like the Defender and Range Rover during my time at Jaguar Land Rover was, I believe, a formidable springboard which has ultimately led to me becoming head of design at Audi today. In any case they were all moments that brought immense satisfaction”.

Are there any objects or trends that have influenced your creative activity?

“My inspiration comes from classic elements, straightforward and clean cut but timeless too. I take pleasure in provocation, but only when it is measured and balanced. There are certain pieces of furniture I particularly love, such as the low version of Minotti’s Jensen Chair, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Chair, and the wonderful projects of Rodolfo Dordoni, a giant in architecture and design. However, if I had to choose the most incredible and iconic architectural object in the world—among all the great buildings and masterpieces—I believe the Egyptian pyramids stand out. They embody precision, history, proportion, and purity, yet remain timeless. These are the qualities I strive to incorporate into everything I design.”

And what about cars?

“There are cars to which I’m particularly attached. Of all of them, I’d mention two: the first Audi TT for its elegance and sportiness, and the Lancia Aurelia B20 GT for its proportions. My passions are boundless, I try to get inspiration not only from cars or travelling but also from music. The important thing is that everything follows a certain minimalism: I love the blues and the three chords they come from, but also Italian cuisine: it’s simple and incisive at the same time”.

Is there any particular object you would have liked to design?

“The Royal Oak by Audemars Piguet. I believe this watch best expresses the concept of elegance, minimalism, excellence in its simplicity, but with character. It celebrates materials, aesthetics and craftsmanship. It’s technical, but sophisticated. It’s one of those objects that encapsulates multiple emotions in just a few elements”.

Who are your favourite designers?

“Three names: Marcello Gandini, Giorgetto Giugiaro and Walter de Silva. Each with his own hallmark characteristics: Giugiaro for his ability to create objects that are not only desirable but also intelligent (for me, the first Panda is a work of art), Gandini for his flair and the courage to be daring, and De Silva for having brought emotion into design combined with infallible technical knowledge”.

Full article in Auto&Design no. 272  –  Browse it on A&DCollection

Working your dream job is a privilege, but when the aspiration of becoming a car designer materializes at one of the most prestigious automotive brands, you can truly say you’ve hit the mark. Mitja Borkert, 50, has been Lamborghini’s Head of Design since 2016. His passion is more than just that – it’s a (positive) obsession, as he explains.

When did you realize you wanted to become a car designer?

“I have many childhood memories related to drawing. I would draw anything with wheels, from cars to military vehicles. I was born in an East German town 90 kilometres from Berlin, and we certainly didn’t see the models that were circulating in major European cities on our streets. Cars like Lamborghini, Porsche, or Ferrari weren’t well-known in our area, and we mostly admired ‘normal’ sports cars that we occasionally saw, like the Opel Calibra or the Honda CRX, which became my first car. My brother would sometimes bring home magazines: we would cut them up and create our own model by combining various parts in an album. Our father kept many of those drawings, and sometimes we look at them and smile: we had created a genuine range of vehicles!”

Were there any turning points in your life?

“The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 gave us the opportunity to open up to the world, taking away pessimism from people’s lives. Thanks to this, I managed to study and then went to Pforzheim University, where they taught me how to transform my drawing ability into a profession. Initially, we designed coffee machines or umbrellas – not particularly exciting things, but when I discovered the Transportation Design course in 1994, my life changed. I remember the smell of clay in the workshops, and I told myself: ‘Mitja, you’ll smell this for the rest of your life.’ Mine is a positive obsession.”

Which encounters changed your career?

“In 1999, I took part in a competition to join Porsche, and Harm Lagaay chose my work. I remember the tension of that moment; I was experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and couldn’t make any mistakes. Then, for sure, I improved a lot by working with Michael Mauer: those were years where I learned a great deal, and in 2014, I became head of exterior design at Porsche. And, obviously, meeting Walter de Silva changed my life: he was the one who asked me to join Lamborghini. A dream came true.”

What’s a typical day like for Lamborghini’s Head of Design?

“There are two types of typical days. When I’m in Sant’Agata Bolognese, I wake up around 6:30, exercise, and try to look at emails with proposals from my collaborators with a fresh mind. Then I have breakfast with my family and go to work. I spend the day with my designers between presentations and modelling, and I often like to organize meetings in the room with the large screen where I can put up the tape drawings: it’s one of the best ways to understand proportions. The second type of day is while travelling. I use the iPad a lot to evaluate proposals and try to get inspired by the places I visit. If the destination isn’t too far, I like to travel by car – looking around opens the door to ideas.”

Who are your go-to designers?

“From Luigi Colani, one must learn flair and genius. When I was studying in Pforzheim, I was literally in love with his Feather Pen, while some of Frank Gehry’s constructions like the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, or the Dancing House in Prague are true works of art. In mobility, I discovered a great passion for motorcycles and the art that connects these objects to speed. The forms designed by Massimo Tamburini for some of his models like the MV Agusta F4 are timeless: they taught me to draw even the smallest detail with the same love.”

Which cities set style trends today?

“You can’t ignore Asian metropolises like Shanghai, Hong Kong, or Tokyo. The innovative energy in these cities is a driving force, reminiscent of what New York’s influence might have been in the ‘80s and ‘90s. For those who love contemporary architecture, there are many inspirations to be found in the United Arab Emirates, where great economic possibilities have allowed local governments to commission impressive architectural works.”

Full article in Auto&Design no. 271  –  Browse it on A&DCollection

A classic car fan and an expert on Burgundy wines, Jean-Pierre Ploué, 62, formerly Stellantis Chief Design Officer, claims that any career is meaningless “where passion is wanting”.

Speaking of passions, what are your hobbies?

“I collect watches. I don’t mean ultra-pricey items, but practical timepieces. I have several Seiko watches and I especially like the line designed by Giugiaro. My favourite is the Speed Master Chronograph with its sloping dial to make it easier to see while driving’.

And cars?

“This is a passion I share with some of my children. I have a small collection of historic models that I have collected over the years: a 1958 Citroen 2CV, a 1957 DS, a short-wheelbase Land Rover Defender, but I also like sports cars like the Ferrari 512 BB, which I consider one of the most beautiful cars of the 1970s, and the immortal Jaguar E-Type. I drive these cars whenever I can and I have very special feelings when I do: the aroma in my 2CV is the same that emanated from my great-grandfather: we used to go fishing together on Wednesdays and it reminds me of those moments.

Which designers do you get your inspiration from?

“I would start with the French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte: I am struck by the elegance of everything he designs and I believe he has a unique ability to make his works easy on the eye. All this charm is also reflected in his character: he is a good friend of mine and I remember a wonderful trip to Tehran together. I also adore Philippe Starck, his works manage to be popular and unique at the same time, with a touch of poetry. Finally, Zaha Hadid: modern, visionary, her designs take you into the future and are really exciting”.

When did you first realise you wanted to be a designer?

“From a very young age, my father would challenge me to build high-performance mechanical objects using Meccano or Lego. I always tried to fuel this interest and my mother found out that there was a watch design school in Besançon that had a section dedicated to interior architecture. There I realised that being a designer was a possibility for me and after my Master’s Degree at the Ensaama School in Paris I went to work at Renault as a designer. A profession that I have never left, where the passion and emotions generated by creation are always present”.

What was the encounter that turned your career around?

“In the early 2000s, I was working in Paris as head of design at Citroën, then part of the Psa group. One day Gregoire Olivier, who was head of strategy, phoned me and asked me if I would also take care of Peugeot brand design, a choice that the Peugeot family also supported. It was a great satisfaction for me. Citroën’s sales were going very well thanks also to the way the cars looked. It was a fundamental encounter for my career that  opened the door then to my directing the design of eight brands”.

Which cities dictate the trends today?

“If we are talking about lifestyle, Lisbon is growing a lot in terms of events that blend in with the charm of a seaside city, with the typical Portuguese rhythm that is attentive to the quality of life. If we refer to innovation in terms of new mobility services, northern European cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen are where it’s at, but also the whole Asian continent is strongly driven by tech. Fashion-wise, Paris and Milan are two important centres, while Turin is still key when it comes to design. This is also demonstrated by the growing interest of Chinese companies that have their style centres in Turin. And of course we have decided to keep the design centre of all our Italian brands in Turin: from Alfa Romeo to Fiat and Abarth, from Lancia to Maserati’.

Have you lived in Turin?

“Yes, I think it’s a fantastic city to live in partly because of its location: it’s people-friendly, the mountains that frame it generate stupendous panoramas and offer beautiful opportunities for road trips, and close by is the Langhe, a place that allows me to indulge my other passions: good food and wine. I was born in Burgundy and am a member of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin: one of the oldest confraternities of wine connoisseurs in Burgundy”.