IKEA's first streetwear collection

The Swedish furniture giant, Ikea, continues its expansion in lifestyle with a new streetwear capsule named EFTERTRÄDA (in Swedish "successor") that wants to become the new symbol of democratic design represented by the brand. The capsule was born from a collaboration between the parent company in Sweden and the Japanese branch of Tokyo, one of the capitals of design and above all of streetwear worldwide, with in mind the values at the base of all Ikea products, which today range from furniture to home décor, also passing through publishing and foods & beverages, which are those of simplicity , functionality and minimalism.

The collection does not consist of simple Ikea branded merch but represents a concrete effort in the field of lifestyle that starts from clothing items such as t-shirts, sweatshirts and tote bags but comes to include daily accessories such as portable fans, key rings, water bottles and towels. The graphics that decorate all the objects in the collection are those of the now iconic Ikea logo and that of the barcode. Especially the items that bear such graphics recall the aesthetics of the Off White x IKEA Receipt Carpet of the Markerad collection created by Virgil Abloh.

As the first launch of the merch line of an iconic brand like Ikea, the proposal of this collection appears at least limited. While remaining valid, in fact, on the side of the objects, it would perhaps have had more impact on the streetwear plan to include other less obvious categories than just hoodies and t-shirts and create products more in line with current trends, which are directed towards a sober minimalism without superfluous graphics that would certainly have made the product more saleable. A Japanese denim by Ikea, or a branded cargo trousers, as well as canvas sneakers, for example, could have become cult products along the lines of Lidl sneakers, but taking advantage of the iconicity of the brand to create a more credible and serious product. 

It says a lot that the FÄLTMAL sleeping bag/tunic presented by the brand last March seems a much more interesting and avant-garde garment than these basic sweatshirts. The same could be said of the KNORVA hat, created after the boom in popularity of its blue shopping bags thanks to Demna Gvasalia and Balenciaga. But the fact that the brand counts among its collaborators personalities such as Abloh, Daniel Arsham, Olafur Eliasson and Sarah Andelman as well as with brands such as Sonos and Greyhoud Originals is very eloquent. Not to mention, as pointed out by the brand strategist Lucile de Goallec on the pages of Fashion United, that the graphics of the barcode suggest ideas of homologation and commodification, as well as not being the maximum of originality. 

Ikea's EFTERTRÄDA collection will be available in Italy from autumn 2021.