Swiss design company Vitra and Virgil Abloh have collaborated to drop three limited edition "Virgil Abloh c/o Vitra" products, available to U.S. consumers for the first time via online marketplace Basic.Space. Products will be available for sale globally through the site's digital storefront, which will livestream the collection and a special DJ music performance by Pedro Cavaliere from a 6-day pop-up installation in Miami's Design District. The installation was created by Abloh's London-based studio Alaska Alaska and is powered by Cash App as part of the company's ongoing efforts to support the creative community. Additional, Abloh and Vitra CEO Nora Fehlbaum will have a conversation about the collection that will air on Abloh's IGTV channel.
"Virgil Abloh c/o Vitra: US Edition" explores the urgent need for inclusivity in design, and invites people of all generations, races and backgrounds to have conversations about both social issues and design topics. Virgil Abloh is known for pushing boundaries and using creativity to communicate socio-political messages while Vitra has a long history of undertaking experimental projects with designers, architects and artists that test the limitations of design's predicted norms. Driven by the new mindset of Generation 'Next' – a forward-thinking psychographic that transcends age, gender, race, ethnicity and income – Basic.Space provides forward-thinking brands such as these with an innovative approach for reaching new audiences, turning the traditional retail model on its head. The Basic.Space community of creatives makes it possible for brands to speak and connect with this new generation that is changing the way we see the world.
"My mission has not changed. My hopes for this collaboration are to further strengthen this bond with the new generation, providing them with further inspiration, as well as room for thought and a sense of inclusion. This collaboration invites the new generation into the conversation – my work is meant to open doors for them," says Virgil Abloh.
"What I find particularly inspiring about Virgil Abloh is that he comes to the table as an outsider, with a fresh look at our collection and a different pace, free of constraints," says Nora Fehlbaum, CEO. "I'm interested in the way that he structures knowledge and passes it on to a new generation in such a condensed manner. He manages to shift the topic of design classics away from the discourse of an intellectual elite to make them accessible to a wider public."
"We're excited to partner with Virgil Abloh and Vitra on this thought-provoking collection, one that embodies inclusivity and design, while inviting a new audience to experience something unique. This collaborative release captures the essence of Basic.Space where brands and creatives can manifest their vision effortlessly both online and offline," said Jesse Lee, founder of Basic.Space.
"Basic.Space offers a unique shopping experience that seamlessly integrates our digital and physical worlds. The platform is authentic, socially conscious and design-centric -- traits that are inherent to our company and important to our customer. This partnership allows Vitra to interact with a new audience and the opportunity to meet the next generation of young design collectors," says Melissa Shelton, Vitra North American President.
The "Virgil Abloh c/o Vitra: US Edition" collection is a spin-off to an earlier collaboration that dropped in 2019 on Vitra's Campus in Weil am Rhein, Germany during Art Basel alongside a futuristic exhibition TWENTYTHIRTYFIVE. The three pieces – a Ceramic Block, along with the Petite Potence lamp and Antony armchair originally designed by Jean Prouvé, are reimagined in baby blue that Abloh intends to stand alone as an object with a function. The "hacked" Prouvé pieces represent the power of design to evolve in order to speak to a new generation.
"Jean Prouve worked as a craftsman, designer, manufacturer, architect, teacher, and engineer - he truly was a multifaceted designer and not limited to one "discipline". His many talents translate through his work – intertwining art with social consciousness. I feel interconnected with Prouve in light of, I too, work within many worlds; art, fashion, music and philanthropy– meshing my ideas from these many realms together for a greater message to the world," says Virgil Abloh.
"Practicing and welcoming inclusion – I created the "Post Modern" Scholarship Fund in effort to do just that. The mission of the Fund is to foster equity and inclusion within the fashion industry by providing scholarships to students of academic promise of Black, African-American, or African descent; recipients will not only be provided with funds, but will also be given access to vital career support services and mentoring. Art and good nature can change the world, I refuse to believe otherwise," says Virgil Abloh.
"The teenager of today has become a creative doer who transforms his memories and experiences, all of the cultural and social influences, into his or her own products, thereby finding a personal field of activity,' says Fehlbaum.
The "Virgil Abloh c/o Vitra: US Edition" installation takes place at 140 NE 39th Street in the Miami Design District, and is open to the public December 3-7, from 11am EST to 7 pm EST, limited to five visitors allowed into the exhibition space at a time, in accordance with city guidelines and enhanced safety measures in place. Visitors can purchase limited edition and numbered pieces and enjoy live and digital experiences at the space.
