Source: Shelby Cooper Photography / Shelby Cooper Photography
Louis Vuitton‘s Artistic Director Virgil Abloh is releasing a limited edition furniture collection, and it will be a variation of a project he and Swiss furniture company Vitra did in 2019 on Vitra’s Germany campus during Art Basel.
The collection, “Virgil Abloh c/o Vitra: US Edition,” consists of three pieces – a Ceramic Block, along with the Petite Potence lamp and Antony armchair – and they will be available for purchase online through Basic.Space.
Source: Basic.Space / Basic. Space
French architect Jean Prouvé is the original designer of the items, and he was self-taught in his craft, like Abloh. Abloh’s new spin is the employment of his very touted “3 percent cheat code,” which is the concept that something can be transformed into a whole other thing by modifying the original by as little as three percent.
Vitra’s CEO Nora Fehlbaum said, “I’m interested in the way that [Virgil] 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.”
Source: Basic.Space / Basic. Space
Vitra’s digital storefront will livestream the collection during its run, and Abloh and Fehlbaum will talk about the collection on Abloh’s IGTV channel. Also, from December 3 through 7, there will be an installation open to the public at 140 NE 39th Street in the Miami Design District, where visitors will be able to purchase the pieces and explore experiences at the art space. However, the total inventory count is restricted to 999 ceramic blocks, 150 lamps, and 150 chairs.
According to the official press release, the aim is to encourage dialogue for people of all backgrounds and use the topic of design as the conduit to discuss art and social issues.
Source: Basic.Space / Basic. Space
“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,” Abloh said. “This collaboration invites the new generation into the conversation – my work is meant to open doors for them.”
