Rodney Kinsman graduated from the Central School of Art in London in 1965 with a goal to usher in a new era of modern British design. In 1966 Rodney founded OMK to produce the progressive designs he intended to create. The company quickly became a key figure in the High-Tech design movement and produced many of the highly successful furniture ranges retailed through Terence Conran’s Habitat stores in the ‘60s and ‘70s.
I’ve always been interested in mass production and industrial design as opposed to craft. I like developing things technically, informed by a material that I am interested in.
OMK 1965 Tokyo Stool and Chair, designed by Rodney Kinsman
A chance encounter with the OMK T1 Armchair leads to something much more exciting...
Rodney Kinsman's aspiration has always been to design progressive furniture employing contemporary technology and using modern materials rather than simply following tradition. Today Kinsman is a celebrated designer and his enduring designs for OMK are regarded as icons of 20th century British design. His work can be found in the permanent collections of the V&A, London's Design Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
OMK 1965 Orbit Mirror, designed by Rodney Kinsman