In September, IKEA will inspire customers to discover an unknown, urban side to Indian culture with their new, limited edition SVÄRTAN collection. SVÄRTAN is the product of a collaboration with Swedish fashion and textile designer Martin Bergström and Indian fashion students.
The collection is comprised of textiles, paper items, glassware, ceramics and metal items. Bergström decided to use only black, white and shades of gray for the products to highlight a side of India that is deeper than the vivid colors that usually are associated with the country’s culture. The subtle textures and abstract patterns featured on the pieces in this collection were inspired by inner-city areas of India. Bergström says that he wanted to encourage customers to see beauty in the seemingly mundane.
“My idea was to create a modern interpretation of India and its heritage, a country with designs that are perceived in the West as colorful, golden and shiny,” Bergström says.
The entire SVÄRTAN collection was made in India and each item has a handmade appearance. With many different materials, patterns, and textures used in the line, the black white and gray really tie everything together.
Twenty-five students from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in New Delhi attended a workshop with Bergström, where they created sample imprints and drawings. These were inspired by unexpected places, such as patterns in surfaces and distressed walls, or dangling cables over the streets. They were looking to find a balance between the organic and the abstract to highlight things that people usually overlook.
“We made over 2000 drawings in the workshop, while in the final collection there are around 15 patterns,” Bergström says.
As SVÄRTAN is a limited edition collection, products are only released and available in stores, while supplies last. The products will be available beginning September 1, 2016.
For more information on IKEA and the SVÄRTAN collection, visit http://www.ikea.com/us/en/.
