Virgil Abloh and IKEA are collaborate on NEW Collection November 1
The wait is soon over! MARKERAD – a limited collection c/o @virgilabloh, will launch in all IKEA markets November 1, 2019.
Virgil Abloh’s long-awaited MARKERAD collection with IKEA now has an official release date, and the “inexpensive yet fashionable objects” are set to hit stores next month. According to the collaborators, the homewares will include 15 pieces that are meant to interconnect the worlds of “contemporary art culture, street art culture and IKEA product design.”
Abloh’s knack for quoted texts will be prevalent throughout, marking the likes of green fuzzy rugs that read “WET GRASS” and brown paper bags that say “SCULPTURE.” The duo has also utilized a print of the Mona Lisa painting as an LED-lit wall hanging, intending to create a modern use for a traditional piece of art. Meanwhile, the low-pile rug featuring imagery of an IKEA MARKERAD receipt makes for another slightly unconventional take on furnishings, with Abloh describing the item as “a trademark in itself that has been transformed into art.”
“There’s always an underlying message in my creations. A little bit of irony – and a human connection,” said the designer.
Pieces like the medium-sized shopping bags, retailing for $20 USD, are in the opening price point range, while the high-pile “WET GRASS” rug is on the opposite spectrum at $249 USD.
The collection will become available in all of IKEA’s U.S. stores starting on November 1. Customers will be limited to purchasing just one of each of the items in the assortment.
“It’s about elevating the anonymous, everyday icons that we use without noticing.” #IKEA #IKEAtoday #VirgilAbloh #IKEAxVirgil #markerdrawings
Virgil Abloh and IKEA will be showcased “FITTING ROOMS,” a try-on exhibition experience of the duo’s collaborative collection pieces during this year’s London Fashion Week.
“FITTING ROOMS” offered a first look at MARKERAD, which forms a part of Abloh’s “Fashion You Can’t Wear” campaign, which seeks to get people statement-dressing their homes just as they do with their clothes. Different rooms will showcase pieces from the designer’s collection with IKEA, allowing visitors to “try on” the rugs, beds and chairs.
Having previously seen snippets of the MARKERAD collection, visitors now get to fully experience the pieces for themselves before the collaboration drops in November in the UK. Abloh’s “SCULPTURE” FRAKTA bag will be displayed hanging off a marble statue, while a till will “print” out the receipt rug. A temporary tattoo station will also be available, with time slots being tracked on the “TEMPORARY” clock. All of the “FITTING ROOMS” have been “designed with Instagram moments in mind,” too.
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