Nodes of Design#110: Form Meets Function: Inside Footwear & Apparel Design with Karen Korellis Reuther

In this episode of the Nodes of Design Podcast, we were honored to have Karen Korellis Reuther, a design luminary with over 20 plus years of experience Karen Korellis Reuther is an experienced creative executive, and a Design Critic in architecture at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. From 2021-2022 she was a
Senior Fellow at Harvard’s Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI). Before ALI she was Vice President of Creative Direction + Future at Reebok and Global Creative Director at NIKE for twelve years where she developed major product, merchandising, and brand
strategies solidifying NIKE at the top of its industry. Karen is a practicing activist committed to “Inclusion by Design: Ending Gender Bias in Product Design”. Karen received her Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from Purdue University and her
Masters in Business Management from Lesley University.

In this episode Karen shared her journey into design, emphasizing curiosity, continuous learning, and resilience as key for beginners.

Karen delved into her design process, revealing a behind-the-scenes look at creating new collections, where balancing innovation with practicality is crucial. She highlighted the necessity of balancing form and function, especially when designing products that are both aesthetically pleasing and performance-oriented.

Facing challenges head-on, Karen recounted overcoming obstacles through collaboration and a solution-focused approach keeping customer at the center

Discussing the impact of fast fashion, Karen voiced concerns over sustainability and envisioned a future where emerging technologies and AI play pivotal roles in creating personalized, sustainable fashion.

We concluded the podcast with Karen recommending three books for design enthusiasts and naming her biggest inspirations in the design space. Her insights provide a treasure trove of inspiration and guidance for anyone looking to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of design.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Nodes of Design. We hope you enjoy the Nodes of Design Podcast on your favourite podcast platforms- Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and many more.

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This podcast aims to make design education accessible to all. Nodes of Design is a non-profit and self-sponsored initiative by Tejj.

Keywords: Footwear Design, Apparel Design, Design Innovation, Fashion and Function, Future of Fashion, Industry Insights, Design Challenges