Dame Zandra Rhodes' maximalist collection will rewrite everything you know about IKEA

When the iconic British designer meets the Scandinavian powerhouse, it's an unexpected match made in heaven

Collection by KARISMATISK, Dame Zandra Rhodes and IKEA
(Image credit: KARISMATISK, Dame Zandra Rhodes X IKEA)
Megan Slack
By
published

In the next unexpected turn of 2021, Dame Zandra Rhodes has revealed a collaboration with Swedish design giants IKEA – and it's here to disrupt all conventions you may associate with the minimalist flatpack superstore. 

Combining Dame Zandra Rhodes' daring color palette with IKEA's design principles, the KARISMATISK collection has punctuated the chain's Scandi-cool style with something slightly more audacious. 

KARISMATISK features 26 unapologetic pieces. The star of the show is notably, a revamped IKEA FRAKTA bag drenched in Dame Zandra Rhodes's colorful signature style. 

This is the one modern home decor idea we never saw coming.

Dame Zandra Rhodes X IKEA dining table with blue cloth

(Image credit: KARISMATISK, Dame Zandra Rhodes X IKEA)

The legendary FRAKTA is not the only piece to receive a high-fashion makeover. The princess of punk has also designed a snake-printed cushion cover, a botanical-printed rug, a wavy mirror, and a selection of lampshades and vases. 

It's not all about pure indulgent fun. The collection was curated with a deeper focus to understand the power of prints and color and their relationship to personality, talent, and culture. 

The pieces explore the psychological effects on people and spaces. It does this by promoting people to play with their homes whilst creating an optimistic outlook in their spaces. 

'It's the sort of collection where people can just choose one piece to lighten up their lives, or they can take several pieces. The IKEA team really get the Zandra Rhodes aesthetic, and because of this, we have just bounced off one another,' Zandra explains.

Dame Zandra Rhodes collection for IKEA

(Image credit: KARISMATISK, Dame Zandra Rhodes X IKEA)

'The design process has been organic and genuine, and this is seen throughout the whole collection. It's been a wonderful adventure. On a practical side, it's been very exciting trying to translate the Zandra Rhodes: World of Colour for the many,' she adds in discussion of her interior design ideas. 

Plus, with an IKEA collection comes a focus on sustainability, which Zandra similarly notes.

'With sustainability in mind, the collection uses recycled materials where possible including in the pre-cut fabrics and the handmade rugs which are produced in an ethically and socially positive way.'

Dame Zandra Rhodes X IKEA bag

(Image credit: KARISMATISK, Dame Zandra Rhodes X IKEA)

This is the most outrageous living room idea of the season, and we never knew how much we needed it, until now. Here's to the most unorthodox collaboration of the century. 

The collection launches in IKEA stores from 1st September 2021.

Megan Slack
Megan Slack

Megan is the Head of Celebrity Style News at Homes & Gardens. She first joined Future Plc as a News Writer across their interiors titles, including Livingetc and Real Homes, before becoming H&G's News Editor in April 2022. She now leads the Celebrity/ News team.

Before joining Future, Megan worked as a News Explainer at The Telegraph, following her MA in International Journalism at the University of Leeds. During her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing, she gained writing experience in the US whilst studying in New York. Megan also focused on travel writing during her time living in Paris, where she produced content for a French travel site.

Megan currently lives in London, where she relocated from her hometown in Yorkshire. In her home, she experiments with interior design trends and draws inspiration from the home decor ideas she observes in her everyday work life. Her favorite pieces include her antique typewriter and her expansive collection of houseplants. When she isn’t writing, she is browsing London’s coffee shops and bookstores to add to her ever-growing library, taking over the open shelving in her apartment. 

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