Virgil Abloh’s Off-White x IKEA Collection Launches Next Month

Virgil Abloh might currently be on a doctor-ordered sabbatical, however his work is still making headlines.

First, came the totally useless handbag at Paris Fashion Week and now, his debut collection for IKEA has been unveiled.

Called MARKERAD, the collection “celebrates a classic minimalist design and builds on artistic references and disruptive elements,” according to a release. There are 15 products in total in the collection, many of which feature Abloh’s signature quotation marks. Standout items in the collection come in the form of rugs: one has been finished to look like grass with the words “WET GRASS” stamped across the front, whilst the other looks like a giant receipt. The mirror is another highlight, giving the illusion of a corner via a crack in its top left corner which the release says creates “a visual distortion and subverts the product’s apparent purpose.”

Room accents, like a wooden desk and chair, glass cabinet and clock are also available, as well as a daybed, pillow case and duvet cover stamped with the brand’s iconic orange tag. There’s also a toolkit (branded “HOMEWORK”) and a back-lit Mona Lisa artwork.

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Photograph courtesy of IKEA

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Abloh describes his work saying, “What’s most important to me in art and design is that the things I create have a reason for existing. Solving a need, whether it be artistic or functional, is an internal measuring stick for me, and that’s how I feel able to leave my signature on objects.”

Abloh’s partnership with the furniture giant began in 2017, and the idea behind his designs is items needed by first-time home buyers; practical pieces with a distinctive design flare. The collection has been two years in the making, and the millennial market is well and truly ready for it.

As per the official release, IKEA is anticipating huge interest in the collection from customers and is therefore implementing a few protocols – if you want to get your hands on a piece (or five), listen up.

The collection will go on sale on November 1 in all Canadian IKEA stores (it will not be available online). At 6am on that day, the first 300 IKEA Family members to visit that store will be given a wristband. When the store officially opens, those with the wristbands will be permitted to shop the collection before the general public is given access at 12pm. For all customers, there will be a limited purchase quantity in effect.

Given the pandemonium Abloh’s designs have caused on the reg over the years, we suspect November 1st will be no different.