Virgil Abloh, founder of Off-White and newly appointed artistic director of Louis Vuitton menswear, commands admiration from millennials and top brands worldwide. His latest project? A complete furniture and decor collection with IKEA. Building on his 2017 redesign of the iconic blue Frakta bag, Abloh delivers the 'Markerad' line. 'Virgil Abloh has been of interest to us for a while. He is a multi-creative personality who ignores boundaries and is connected with the youth, their needs and their desires,' says Henrik Most, creative leader at IKEA Range and Supply.
Dubbed 'Markerad,' this collaboration blends practicality, innovative design, and artistic expression. Targeted at millennials, it's crafted to be accessible across budgets.
On Monday, April 30, a live stream on IKEA's blog offered an exclusive preview from New York. Abloh unveiled prototypes including a matte red doorstopper paired with a Scandinavian-inspired chair, a glazed display unit to showcase sneakers and valuables 'like true works of art,' the iconic blue bag reimagined in beige with 'Sculpture' lettering, and two rugs designed to hang on walls. Signature Abloh diversion shines through.
As a trained architect, Abloh sought to 'integrate an artistic vision into the objects we already have'—a mission impressively achieved. It's poised to captivate Generation Y.
The collection launches in 2019. Post-stream, Abloh teased more reveals on June 7—stay tuned to IKEA's website.
