IKEA and Byredo Unveil Perfume Collaboration

First Kanye West shows interest in working with the Swedish mega design giant IKEA, then an Off-White partnership in the realm of furniture is announced via Instagram with Virgil Abloh. Now IKEA announces they will be further rolling into the lifestyle market with their own branded perfume, partnering up with Swedish bespoke grooming brand Byredo. The Scandinavian brand is the brainchild of Ben Gorham, former pro basketball player who has been creating cult fragrances since 2006.  In a recent post on the IKEA website, Gorham said, “I think we’re working on using scent to communicate emotions and tell stories of people, culture and design.”

No more details are known about the collaboration other than what design manager of IKEA Marcus Engman has said: “At IKEA we are curious about the senses and the importance they play for people to feel at home. We know that scents can help us create a feeling of safety and intimacy, but what does home smell like? And how can a smell be communicated beyond scented candles?”

The question begs to be asked, is IKEA becoming the new Supreme? They are proving to be versatile and agile enough to work with influencers, trendsetters and lifestyle icons in pretty much any capacity. But how the market responds to their design upgrade will remain to be seen. A recent slew of design hacks appeared earlier this year culminating in Balenciaga’s carbon copy delivery bag for $1700.