The Fashion Plate Magazine

Virgil Abloh is the creative advisor for sustainable innovation at Evian. And last year, Ikea Company launched a major upcycle initiative to be “planet positive”. Together they should be a dream team. But the Virgil Abloh x Ikea collection is a missed opportunity. Because most of the collection is absent sustainable design.

The trendy designs feature some great sustainable elements. For example, all the cotton used to make the products is recycled or grown using less water, chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

But on the other hand the rugs are purely synthetic. The Ikea receipt rug, a real brand object, is sure to be a best seller. But the rug is a poly/plastic blend. A recycled textile from the ocean’s plastic certainly would’ve been a better option.

The remaining collection includes assorted tables in wood pulp, not recycled. And art works like the Mona Lisa and the “Sculpture” series created in paper and sealed in plastic. Another missed opportunity to upcycle materials.

Overall the collection is kitchy, fun and trendy. But this could have been an iconic collection, instead its destined to be forgotten.

What do you think of the new collection? Drop a comment in the section below.