It is 1978. Ikea was not the furniture giant we know today yet, but it had already become an entrepreneurial icon in terms of production and image. In that year, it launched its first collection curated by external designers from the Swedish collective 10-gruppen. This basically marked the brand’s first capsule collection – a term popularized by the fashion industry to denote limited-edition releases. In the years to come, and particularly starting from 1995 with the introduction of the first PS collection, Ikea repeatedly used the expedient of small collections as a ground for experimentation and promotional showcase. These initiatives led to the creation of product lines that overcame the degree zero to which the company catalog had often confined them and turned them into cult objects at best, or less memorable endeavors at worst. Nevertheless, each endeavor served as a valuable lesson for the brand – to borrow marketing jargon – and a promotional move bound to capture the attention of professionals, the media, and to some extent the general public.
Ikea’s finest capsule collections and collaborations from ‘95 to the present day
The Swedish brand excels in exploring limited editions, continually evolving over the years through collaborations in art, fashion, and music.
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- Giulia Zappa
- 20 March 2024
The concept of the capsule collection is often attributed to the 2004 collaboration between Karl Lagerfeld and H&M. However, some sharp observers argue that its origins can be traced back to Elsa Schiaparelli's Constellation Wardrobe collection launched in 1946, amidst postwar reconstruction efforts, focusing on travel clothes and ready-to-wear. Regardless of when exactly they started, capsule collections have primarily been embraced by the fashion industry as a “win-win” strategy. By working within a defined and somewhat “off-topic” inspiration, brands can break free from their established identities, experimenting with different solutions and communication styles. This narrative specificity is ideal for fast-paced promotions, attracting both media attention and consumer interest. Collaborations further enhance visibility, creating a dual impact that amplifies the resonance of the products.
Foto courtesy Ikea
Foto courtesy Ikea
Foto courtesy Ikea
Foto courtesy Ikea
Foto courtesy Ikea
Foto courtesy Ikea
Foto courtesy Ikea
Foto courtesy Ikea
Foto courtesy Ikea
Foto courtesy Ikea
Foto courtesy Ikea
Foto courtesy Ikea
“We are always curious and open to new ways of doing things to help us reach more of the many people, in a world that changes quickly”, states Emma Jones, Range Identity Manager of IKEA Sweden. “That’s why we started to collaborate from the beginning: to work with people who open our eyes, ask questions we hadn’t thought of and force us to move forwards. Learning new things from outside talent and companies that can add dimensions to our vision.”
Over time, IKEA’s capsule collections consistently surpassed our brands’ expectations, often by offering unexpected reinterpretations of the chain’s classic designs. This has led to a somewhat paradoxical phenomenon: while originally inspired by the seasonality of fast fashion, capsule objects have established themselves as long-lasting items, becoming the new classic pieces thanks to their immediate recognizability and success. Their popularity extends to small collectors, who are willing to pay significant sums for iconic items – such as 6,000 euros for the Keep Off doormat by Virgil Abloh, despite the absence of confirmed serial numbers for each product.
In the gallery, a list of IKEA’s most iconic capsule collections from 1995 to the present day.
The term “capsule collection” may have not been consciously used at the time, but the foundation was already laid. With the resurgence of minimalism in the 1990s, IKEA reclaimed and revitalized its Scandinavian identity by mustering up 18 designers tasked with reinterpreting the foundational principles of Nordic design. The outcome of this endeavor was a more authorial approach to their creations, which were showcased at the Salone del Mobile in 1995 under the banner of “Democratic Design.” Among the presented products, there were iconic pieces like the IKEA PS 1995 clock and table/stool designed by Thomas Eriksson. Such a successful experiment must be repeated. This led to a total of nine PS collections to be released by the Swedish giant through 2017. While not always strictly adhering to Scandinavian minimalism, these collections embraced a diverse range of influences and imaginative expressions.
It is one of Ikea PS's most memorable collections, also thanks to the involvement of a group of international designers, among whom Tomás Alonso, Matali Crasset, and Scholten and Baijings. The theme “On the Move” sought solutions to pander to the nomadism of a growing segment of the population through multifunctional, easily transportable, and always low-cost objects.
MARKERAD was the capsule collection that had the most disruptive impact. It was designed by the eclectic creative Virgil Abloh, prematurely passed, who defined it as "a collection of items that help you make a statement in your first home." While staying true to the brand's minimalist design and commitment to affordability, the pieces introduced details or incorporated phrases that play between irony and bold self-representation. This resulted in an elevated product that proudly embraced its significance.
In 2017, it was the turn of Balenciaga's reinterpretation of IKEA's iconic blue Frakta bag – a success. Then in 2020, IKEA ventured into the clothing market launching its first capsule collection. However, the goal this time was different: to strengthen its connection – even on a sentimental level, so to speak – with the Asian market, where it had already breached, through a dedicated merchandising line. While perhaps less intriguing to Western audiences, the collection was semantically tailored to resonate with Asian consumers who find in the values of democracy and simplicity a point of reference.
The Bastua collection is a collaboration between IKEA and Marimekko that declines core aspects of Scandinavian identity in an integrated line of furniture, accessories, and textiles. While the furniture and accessories featured welcoming soft shapes with essential simplicity, the prints amplified their graphic appeal by stylizing the color contrasts of rhubarb, a typical ingredient in Nordic cuisine. Furthermore, the collection included accessories dedicated to the sauna experience, such as buckets, towels, and kimonos.
Art as well as furniture and design. For its sixth edition, IKEA collaborated with five artists and designers – Daniel Arsham, Gelchop, Humans since 1982, Sabine Marcelis, and Stefan Marx – who were tasked with reinterpreting and distorting some common design typologies. The resulting artworks, ranging from hyperbolic to controversial and subtle, maintained more explicit and appealing forms and provided opportunities for storytelling and reflection. Sabine Marcelis' exploration of light continued in a new capsule collection named VARMBLIXT, which was entirely dedicated to the universe of lamps.
“Only the bare essentials in a practical, minimalist form.” OBEGRÄNSAD was a unique capsule collection designed to meet the needs of a specific niche: novice DJs and music producers who created compositions from their own rooms rather than professional studios. Developed in collaboration with the renowned house group Swedish House Mafia, OBEGRÄNSAD revisited some famous furnishings, customizing them, and introducing new additions, including dedicated accessories for organizing records, suspending speakers, providing lighting, and transporting equipment.