The artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear line and founder of Milan-based label Off-White, Virgil Abloh, has teamed up with Scandinavian home furnishing retailer, IKEA, to create a range of fashion-forward homeware.
Named MARKERAD (which translates to ‘clear cut’ or ‘crisp’ in Swedish), the collection of 15 pieces is now available to shop in IKEA stores in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
The IKEA x Virgil Abloh line took two years to create, which has made it the most hyped collaboration of all IKEA’s stellar partnerships thus far.
The collection includes everyday essentials such as a day bed, a table, a chair, a mirror, a rug, bed textiles and a cabinet, as well as accessories which have been transformed into design icons.
Abloh’s signature slogans are apparent throughout: the well-known blue carrier FRAKTA bag which has been redesigned in tan and embossed with the text ‘SCULPTURE,’ a grass-stye rug which reads ‘WET GRASS’ and a numberless clock with a face that spells ‘TEMPORARY.’
From a fragmented mirror to a chair with a doorstop attached to the leg and a cabinet with red nails for handles, each item adds an artful quality to regular decor.
Aimed at students and home owners moving into their first home, the purpose of the collection is to make statement design accessible to a younger buyer. This aligns with IKEA's concept of keeping design affordable, functional and high on quality.
"I'm so excited that MARKERAD is now ready for people to enjoy. I look forward to seeing how these everyday objects will enter people's homes and hopefully add an emotional value to them, this has been the ethos of the whole collection. I want each item to bring people a sense of pride, and I want the great design to be the biggest reason why they buy it," said Abloh.
The limited collection is only available for instore purchase from November 1, across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Ikea.ae
