IKEA, So-Cal Style: Swedish Furniture Brand Releases Its Own Skateboard Design
If skateboards and clothing seem like odd offerings to find at your local IKEA, you probably haven’t been paying attention. The Swedish retailer is looking to corner the market on just about everything the stylish city dweller could possibly desire, including bicycles, solar panels, and even turntables. “SPÄNST,” IKEA’s new urban lifestyle collection, ups the brand’s street cred through a collaboration with LA-based fashion designer Chris Stamp, and everything in it is just as affordable as you’d expect.
Produced in partnership with designer Maja Ganszyniec, a frequent IKEA collaborator based in Poland, SPÄNST is a capsule collection of about 25 products designed to appeal to skaters and lovers of streetwear. Now available in stores a full year after its initial announcement, the range ramps up IKEA’s signature minimalism with the kind of relaxed urban style you’d expect to find in L.A.’s hippest enclaves. The collection’s monochromatic shades of black, white, and gray fit seamlessly into IKEA’s industrial loft aesthetic.
SPÄNST boasts a black basketball and hoop designed for indoor use (priced at just $34.99), an all-black hoodie and cap, a compact mesh wardrobe, t-shirts, textural cushion covers, a duffel bag, and a series of shoe boxes for organizing and showing off your collection. The range also consists of a skateboard rack, a reusable water bottle, a simple armchair, and a “standing support” with a matching black trestle table. Every piece is open and airy, running on the notion that if you’re spending your money on hyped clothes and shoes, you probably don’t want to hide them away in closets.
“Exploring the changes and needs of young homes today, with a special focus on active, urban lifestyles, was the starting point for SPÄNST,” says IKEA. “The team met for the first time in New York, surprised to find that a lot of their initial ideas were similar: smart materials and monochrome colors with graphic elements were a few of them. They were inspired by the sports industry and the conscious consumer — people who are not only concerned with what they wear, but also how to collect and show off those items — beautifying their surroundings in the process.”
Chris Stamp is known for his eponymous fashion brand STAMPD, which since 2011 has grown from a small fashion studio into a globally in-demand phenomenon.
“Fashion and furniture are different animals but the creative process is similar,” says Stamp. “Design no matter the medium is always about finding the right solution to a challenge. Feeling inspired by the environment around me and my team is an essential part of my creative process. I grew up surfing and skating. Here in SoCal, skating is more than transportation. It’s a culture and an intimate part of the Stampd DNA. I’m honored to get the opportunity to design the first skateboard ever at IKEA.”
SPÄNST is a limited edition collection and will only be in stores for a short amount of time, so if you see something you like, grab it now before it’s too late!
