Fashion

Ikea's Next Collab Is Sure To Be Pretty Out There

by Emily Kirkpatrick

May 14, 2015

You may not immediately recognize the name of Ikea's latest design partner, but you've undoubtedly seen some of this his controversial ensembles come down the runway. Ikea is teaming up Walter Van Beirendonck, the edgy Belgian menswear designer, to make an exciting and unusual series of prints.

Beirendonck is officially part of the Antwerp Six, a group of designers who emerged in the '80s, taking the fashion world by storm. It includes some of the most avant garde names in the business, including Dries Van Noten and Ann Demeulemeester. Beirendonck was also the mentor of a little designer you may have heard of named Raf Simons (currently of Dior), back in the day. He's is known for pioneering crop tops and leggings as pants for men, but he also made headlines just recently for his Fall 2014 menswear collection, where models wore oversized Native American headdress that read, "STOP RACISM." A powerful statement amidst a season chock full of offensively re-appropriated headgear.

Now, however, the designer is tackling a much lighter project, bringing his signature psychedelic prints to bear on home goods. Beirendonck has created five prints that will be used across an entire range of Ikea interior design products due to hit stores June 2016. While there are no pictures as of now of the prints, there is this short video where the designer discusses some of his motifs which seem to stay in the light commercial realm of clouds and the like. But, personally, I'm hoping Beirendonck will bring back some of his kookier prints from the past, including the hairy chest tee and a few of his trippy stripes.

Check out some of the best patterns I hope to see revived after the video!