The Long-Awaited Virgil Abloh x IKEA Collection Has Finally Dropped
In the last 2 years, Virgil Abloh, the founder of Off-White cum artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear, has revolutionised the fashion industry by turning streetwear into high-end luxury. Most recognised for his signature use of quotation marks and his massively popular “The Ten” collection with Nike, Virgil is the master of hype—which is why fans are abuzz over his designs or collaborations whenever they drop. In early November, after months of teasing, Virgil is back in the spotlight with his latest collaboration with IKEA, a 15-piece homeware line that comprises “inexpensive yet fashionable objects” for homes. Here’s everything you need to know about the MARKERAD IKEA collection by Virgil Abloh.
Items from MARKERAD were inspired by experiences from his youth.
Virgil’s childhood mostly consisted of borrowing power tools to build furniture items from scratch with his friends. He took his hobby further by getting a master’s degree in architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology, which informs the way he designs by merging multiple disciplines together. Although this isn’t Virgil’s first foray into furniture design, this collection was 2 years in the making.
MARKERAD was designed with the millennial generation in mind.
The line which promotes democratic design and easy accessibility hopes to cater to millennials who are moving into their new homes and customising their living space for the first time. Choosing to stick to IKEA’s principle of creating functional yet affordable products, Virgil has kept the price range low starting from $14.90 to $299. The “STRUCTURE” paper bag and 17-piece “HOMEWORK” tool set are both the cheapest at $14.90.
The collection stays true to Virgil’s signature style.
Expect to see his signature quotation marks on various Markerad products, such as the wall clock that reads “TEMPORARY” and rugs with “KEEP OFF” and “WET GRASS” boldly printed on them, making it a statement heavy collection. Virgil even reworked the Mona Lisa painting and added it to the collection, allowing millennials to own a “piece of art” that’s also on display in the Louvre.
The limited-edition collaboration is available in stores only, while stocks last.
9 out of the 15-piece collection have been sold out in Singapore. Since they won’t be restocked, it’s best to get your hands on whatever’s left while you still can. If you’re desperate for the already sold out “TEMPORARY” wall clock or the “KEEP OFF” rug, you could try your luck on Carousell. But a word of caution: be prepared to pay up to five times more than the original price.
Image Credit: IKEA