Its been almost a year since we sat down with Off-White designer Virgil Abloh to find out about his much-anticipated home décor collaboration with IKEA, and finally, pictures of the new line have emerged. Over the past few months, IKEA, Abloh, and various product designers have shared images on Instagram of the development process, offering hints of what's to come.

We've known about Abloh's redesign of the iconic Frakta bag for months, and now, the latest images confirm the line will go beyond small accessories. IKEA Today shared an image of a large blue Persian-style rug, emblazoned with the words "keep off." Another image shows a vivid red rug with the word "blue" in the centre. The move to design large investment pieces is in line with the direction Abloh spoke about during our interview last year. "You don't remodel your whole environment—that's not how people consume. What I'm more interested in is that statement piece that revitalises a whole room," he said.

Take a look at the first images of the IKEA x Off-White collaboration, and scroll below to read our exclusive interview with the designer last year.

Published June 2017:

There are usually a couple of announcements at IKEA's annual Democratic Design Days event that put media and décor lovers in a spin, but this year, one collaboration stole the show. The homewares brand shared that it is partnering with Virgil Abloh, trained architect, Kanye West's longtime creative director, and the founder of high-street fashion label Off-White, a favourite among It girls like Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid.

When Abloh took to the stage to talk about the upcoming décor collaboration, which is due to launch in 2019, squeals and the click-click of iPhone cameras could be heard among the usually quiet and reserved media. But after a brief 10-minute discussion about the need for better small-space and first-apartment solutions—which will be the focus of Abloh's line—we were left with more questions than we started with.

Curious to know what furniture and accessories we can expect from Kanye West's closest confidant, we pulled Alboh aside to find out more. Here's what he told us.

MYDOMAINE: Why have you chosen to focus on first-apartment solutions for your line with IKEA?

VIRGIL ABLOH: My background is architecture and engineering, so all the projects that I do are not just about the design; its about asking, Why? Who? What need is it solving, and what's the cultural relevance? There's millions of chairs, millions of cups, millions of rugs in the world. I'm only interested in providing ones for people who don't know why they need a better-designed object or why something is cool.

Right now this project is in the early phases, so its limitless. Of course, there are basics like coffee tables and a sofa, but its an environment. I'm interested in the mass things, like a big rug, but I'm also interested in what makes a space cool and comforting. It could be the smallest ashtray.

I'm interested in what makes a space cool and comforting. It could be the smallest ashtray.

MD: Will the collection represent your personal décor style, and if so, what is that?

VA: Mine is eclectic. I believe in two different objects being different, and the in-between expresses personality. In fashion, I do a high-low street-meets-refined thing, which to me feels modern. It feels as contradictory as people are. The freedom in the generation of now is that you don't have to be perfect. You don't have to fit in a box of liking modern or ornate. You can be in between.

Of course, as an architect, I'm trying to figure out how impossible it would be to pick a coffee table that [different people] like. The way to get both of your attention in the collection is to do two dissimilar things that don't have to relate to each other.

MD: You've been quoted saying that we're a "post-Tumblr generation" obsessed with replicating a perfect image. Does that influence how millennials decorate?

VA: Its not realistic unless you have [a limitless] budget. You don't remodel your whole environment—that's not how people consume. What I'm more interested in is that statement piece that revitalises a whole room.

That's what my cultural observation is. That's what the fashion, the music has taught me. Three new pieces and decluttering can give you an apartment that looks like your Tumblr page.

Three new pieces and decluttering can give you an apartment that looks like your Tumblr page.

MD: What do you think is missing out there for first apartments?

VA: A huge part of [furniture] icons and design are that you usually have to go to school or meet someone who knows what the difference is between an Eames chair and a folding chair. That's not common knowledge. What I think is more of a disparity is there's nowhere to learn about that. You would only learn about it if it was trendy. So my mission statement is to make it trendy to learn about iconic moments in design.

In this project, I'm looking to my favourite items in design, [like] my first apartment purchase, which was a blue Eames chair. What makes it special is that originally those iconic things weren't put on a pedestal. They were classic and good and are now an icon. What happens if those are made available to someone who is buying their first apartment rather than just an anonymous chair?

MD: What are some of the items we can expect in the collection?

VA: One of the things I'm looking to do is merge things with art. If you had a painting or a sculpture, you would live with it longer than you would furniture. If you take some of those principles from art and apply it to an object, you make it feel special and made by an artist; even though it's mass-produced, you'll keep it for longer. Those are the reference points for the collection.

Opening Image: Getty

This post originally appeared on MyDomaine.

Full disclosure: I love Kanye West. The first time I heard "Through the Wire," I was hooked. I bought The College Dropout followed by Late Registration the moment they were released (back in the day when people bought albums). Seriously though, go back and listen to “Heard ’Em Say,” and tell me that isn’t one of the best pop-rap songs ever. In the years between those days and now, Kanye has released yet more critically and commercially acclaimed records, married Kim Kardashian West and has built himself a reputation for being, let’s just say, not the most modest man in the world of music. And thanks to his sellout Yeezy line, he’s also currently trying to dominate the world of fashion. But despite his panache for self-aggrandisement, he’s still managing to do great things when it comes to both those industries. For this reason, I’ve taken a look at some of Kanye’s boldest statements for some inspiration when you need to get motivated. Because if these don’t work, then nothing will.

Keep reading for a mix of hilarious, clever and sometimes insightful words, courtesy of the one and only Kanye West.

This post was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated by Elinor Block.

The Fondation Louis Vuitton—the Frank Gehry-designed art hub recently opened in Paris by the luxury group LVMH—held off its impending classical exhibitions this past weekend in lieu of a performance by Kanye West. Bernard Arnault, LVMH’s CEO, was one of the big names in attendance, along with the Oscar-winning film director of 12 Years a Slave, Steve McQueen. But in West's orbit, one star always seems to shine brighter than the rest: Kim Kardashian, of course.

She succeeded once more at top-notch intrigue while sitting backstage after the show, chatting to WWD about her halo of newly blond hair. “I’ve had references of Madonna with platinum hair… on my computer forever,” she noted, adding that she’s “happy with it. It’s a look.” And apparently she’ll be keeping the colour for an upcoming campaign, the specifics of which she wouldn’t dare reveal. Cue the endless speculation.

In the meantime, we’ll have to make do with another interesting tidbit: Kardashian’s comfort with redesigning her Céline wares. The item in question? A black coat that was originally white, which she also added a fur collar to. According to West, it’s “now… a really dope coat.” A winning endorsement if there ever was one.

Any guesses on who Kardashian's new campaign is for? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to read the full article over at WWD.

As you're likely aware, the world of fashion often collides and overlaps with multiverses of all sorts: the worlds of art, music, celebrity, design, and more influence fashion and vise versa. 

As such, we have our finger on the pulse of it all, and our online feeds are veritable treasure troves of the goings-on in just about every industry that's even remotely related to style. Keep scrolling to learn more about the most important pop culture moments that happened this week!

The Internet seemed to come to a standstill when the star stepped out at Paris Fashion Week with newly lightened locks.

The world experienced a wave of emotions this week when Jared Leto first chopped off his gorgeously long hair, then dyed his newly shorn 'do platinum blonde, then coloured his eyebrows to match.

West took to Twitter this week to share the name of his forthcoming eighth studio album, which he has dubbed "So Help Me God." He also released the lead track, "All Day," which you can listen to on Spotify.

The media-averse star stepped out in Hollywood this week, where paparazzi quickly snapped photos of him and his new hand tattoo. It reads "Esme," a reference to his new daughter Esmerelda.

The long-anticipated exhibit celebrating the life and art of Icelandic musician Björk had a soft open at Manhattan's Museum of Modern Art this week. Sadly, most of the reviews are less than favourable.

Netflix announced that the wildly popular show would return for its third season on June 12.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the first show Tina Fey has written since 30 Rock, is now streaming on Netflix! 

What was your favourite moment from pop culture this week? Tell us in the comments below!

Mere mention of the name Kanye West initiates a serious case of the eye-rolls amongst most people. He seems to be wildly unpopular, having built a reputation as an overly aggressive, critical, and downright rude person with wildly unpopular opinions. Ever since he first interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, it’s all been downhill from there.

But I’m here to offer what might be considered another wildly unpopular opinion: Kanye West is not overly aggressive, critical, or rude—he’s just a person with opinions, very passionate opinions, and no real desire to filter them. And why should he? If we were as famous as Kanye West, I can pretty much guarantee we would all want to use our fame as a platform for our beliefs. That’s all he’s doing, and he gets way more flak than he deserves.

Allow me to explain. Keep scrolling to see three reasons why I think it’s time we should all start taking Kanye West a lot more seriously than we do.

As much as I’d like to believe that Kim helmed her own sartorial makeover, I think it’s time to acknowledge Kanye West’s part in it. Kardashian herself has talked about how much his influence has changed her style—and recently, West called Kardashian his “fashion muse.” It’s clear he’s had a direct impact on how stylish Kim Kardashian has become—he took her from reality star to total fashion icon, dressed in every couture house from Givenchy to Balmain to Lanvin. That’s no small feat. 

No matter how hard West might try to appear in the public eye—how impenetrable, aggressive, and staunch—I maintain that underneath it all, he’s an incredibly sensitive artist. In a recent interview with Vogue's André Leon Talley, West said, "I feel like a human being, like a man. A man makes mistakes, a man can have an opinion, a man can be hypocritical. I feel like my blood hasn't been turned cold by the concept of celebrity."

And in his recent interview with Style.com, he mused, "I'm only concerned with making beautiful products available to as many people as possible. The least I could do is spend my time trying to give other people a piece of the so-called good life. Everyone should have the good life."

Regardless of whether or not Kanye West will achieve more success as a designer, the fashion world would benefit from listening to what he has to say. He is opening up conversations about some very important and relevant issues: The role of race in the industry, the increasingly prominent, but also detrimental role of fame in fashion, and the democratization of high-end fashion. The things West is saying aren’t really being said by anyone else, and they are things the fashion world needs to hear—because as we’ve seen with issues like plus-sizing, wearable tech, and social media, the fashion world is often slow on the uptake. We need voices like West’s to help propel us into the future. 

Do you agree that it’s time to start listening to what Kanye West has to say? Tell us in the comments below!

Los Angeles tends to be largely overlooked when it comes to its contributions to the fashion community--but not last night! Daily Front Row hosted the first-ever Fashion Los Angeles Awards (which the publication has playfully dubbed the FLAs), honouring a number of designers and other style influencers for their contributions to Hollywood fashion.

Moschino's Jeremy Scott received the Womenswear Designer of the Year award, Calvin Klein's Italo Zuccheli won for menswear, Christian Louboutin won for shoes, Gigi Hadid took home the Model of the Year award, and many more. Some of Hollywood's brightest fashion stars showed up to honour their cohorts, and they lit up the red carpet with some fabulous wardrobe choices.

Keep scrolling to see our favourite looks from the evening!

Rihanna in Moschino

Nicole Richie in Alfredo Villalba and Kwiat jewels

Gigi Hadid in Calvin Klein and Stuart Weitzman

Drew Barrymore in Zara top, Milly skirt, and Dior clutch

Miley Cyrus in Moschino

Katy Perry in Moschino

Do you agree with our picks? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!