In 2019, the furniture and home accessories retailer IKEA released the MARKERAD (Swedish for ‘labelled’) capsule collection of homeware items in collaboration with fashion designer Virgil Abloh. The “SCULPTURE” bag is a reinterpretation of IKEA’s iconic blue plastic FRAKTA shopping bag, part of the IKEA shopping experience since the 1990s and one of IKEA's most popular products. The ‘co-branding’ nature of such collaborations helps to increase sales and offer new variations to standard products. IKEA is a brand that has been proactively seeking out such collaborations to produce capsule collections.

Such collaborations are also an opportunity for luxury brands to make their products available at different price points and to reach diverse market segments and consumers beyond their regular base. While clearly motivated by commercial interests, these collaborations also lead to the democratisation of design. The “Sculpture” bag was the cheapest product in the collection: the 33L version retailed for 10 Euros, whilst the 79 L version sold for13 Euros.

The release of the Abloh IKEA collection on 1-3 November 2018 transformed the IKEA shopping experience, reflecting a broader shift in retail strategies made popular by streetwear labels known as ‘product drops’. This sales strategy consists of releasing limited-edition products in small quantities at select retail locations, with the intention of creating a sense of urgency and the illusion of scarcity’ among (often younger) consumers.

Virgil Abloh has forged a reputation as a trailblazing streetwear fashion designer since 2012. Born in Illinois, Abloh first established his career as a designer during his stint as art director for Kanye West and Jay-Z’s joint album, Watch the Throne (2011). In 2013 Abloh established the label Off-White. Its design aesthetic centres on the iconography of American cities: white arrows, plain labels, industrial packaging and streetwear. In 2014, Off-White was selected as a finalist for the coveted fashion award for young designers, the LVMH Prize. This significantly increased Abloh’s profile and appeal to top buyers and designers in the fashion industry. Most recently in 2018, Abloh was appointed artistic director of Louis Vuitton menswear, making him the first African American director of a French fashion house. Abloh’s entry into the highest ranks of the luxury fashion industry was widely reported and interpreted as an indicator of streetwear’s entry into high fashion.