Dezeen Magazine

Markerad by Virgil Abloh for IKEA

Virgil Abloh reveals full IKEA collection ahead of US launch next month

Millennials will soon be able to furnish their homes with the emblazoned rugs and bedding in IKEA's long-awaited collection by fashion designer Virgil Abloh, which will be available for sale in the US next month.

Markerad by Virgil Abloh for IKEA

Abloh's range called Markerad, which is aimed at students and young people moving into their first homes, will be available for purchase in IKEA stores across America from 1 November.

The launch has been hotly anticipated since IKEA announced it was working on a collection with Abloh in 2017 and revealed snippets of the series one year later.

The news comes with a full suite of images detailing the 15 items in the series, including bedding, furniture, rugs and a clock.

Markerad by Virgil Abloh for IKEA

"I'm really glad that Markerad is now ready to meet with people," said Abloh.

"I look forward to see how these everyday objects will enter people's homes and hopefully add an emotional value to them. Because that has been the ethos of the whole collection."

Markerad by Virgil Abloh for IKEA

Abloh created the collection to align with IKEA's "democratic design concept", meaning it is intended to be both affordable and fashionable.

Many of the designs are modelled on typical IKEA furniture but adapted with subtle ironic details that Abloh, who runs fashion brand Off-White, likens to pop art.

Markerad by Virgil Abloh for IKEA

For example a number of pieces are altered with the quotation slogans that has become a signature of the designer's work.

These include his take on the Frakta bag, which will be a yellow hue instead of blue, and emblazoned with the text "SCULPTURE", and a grassy green rug that reads "WET GRASS".

Another rug, which was revealed last year, will playfully resemble am oversized receipt for an IKEA purchase.

Markerad by Virgil Abloh for IKEA

"In the same way you might hang a piece of art work on your wall, art can bleed into objects like a chair, table or rug," Abloh added.

"That was my initial problem to solve when creating this collection together with IKEA."

Other items in the 15-part series include a monochrome clock transcribed with the words "TEMPORARY" and an IKEA toolbox fronted with "HOMEWORK". Bedding in the series comes in muted tones offset with bold orange labels that lists the designer's name along with their title, "Textiles".

Markerad by Virgil Abloh for IKEA

"This collaboration has been characterised by a curiosity for each other's 'playfield' and a genuine willingness to test new paths," said Henrik Most, a creative leader at IKEA Range and Supply.

"By joining our approaches to design, we challenged each other to think differently and created a collection that is bold, contemporary and empowering."

Markerad by Virgil Abloh for IKEA

Customers will be able to purchase Markerad at all US IKEA stores on 1 November, with sales launching at 10am across different time zones.

In anticipation of the popularity of the launch, IKEA has released terms and conditions for purchasing from the collection. It has stated that items will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis, and each buyer will be restricted to purchasing just one of each of the 15 pieces in the series.

Other designs up for grabs include a glass cabinet with handles that resemble red nails, a wooden chair that comes with a triangular red doorstop attached and a mirror fragmented into different angles.

Markerad by Virgil Abloh for IKEA

Abloh, who trained as an architect, got his kickstart collaborating with rapper Kanye West. His IKEA collection forms part of a wave of success for the designer in recent years – including being named men's creative director at Louis Vuitton.

This year his career has been the focus of a major exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, which is now set to tour across locations in America, including Atlanta and New York City.