After a slew of online rumours, it looks like Virgil Abloh is indeed linking up with Swedish furniture giant, IKEA. The Off-White mastermind and streetwear influencer has joined the famous brand for a limited one-off redesign of IKEA’s classic Frakta bag. The new utility shopper was debuted during a panel at Democratic Design Days, which is a special showcase that gives outsiders and creatives a chance to hear from prominent figures in the world of fashion and art.
Abloh spoke with press regarding his new piece, and showed off its slick build that stays true to the IKEA aesthetic we’ve all come to know and love. The Frakta comes equipped with yellow and blue straps and is bolstered with the single term, “Structure”, in bold block text across the bag’s body. You may recall that the two parties previously teased a collaboration at the beginning of the month, and if this particular model pushes units, it wouldn’t be farfetched to assume more capsules will be on the way.
In the meantime, it looks like the two are working to make affordable housing for less fortunate tenants. “We’re looking at that first phase of adult life, when you start making purchases for your space”, they said. “Largely people grow up in their parents’ environment. They’ve never had to consider furniture. Then when they’re off on their own and have their own aesthetic, what are their first purchases? I’m interested in thinking about how those purchases are informed.” You can watch the Design Days conference below via YouTube.
