Alexander Wang Tries His Hand at Furniture Design

Now a year into his stint at Balenciaga, Alexander Wang is trying his hand at furniture design with a three-piece collection for Italian label Poltrona Frau. Evocative of his usual street-infused luxury style, the collection has all the parts of a Wang hit. Almost two years in the making, the offering includes a brass-footed beanbag chair in black shearling, another version in leather, and a bar cabinet wrapped in black shagreen, opening up to brass shelving. With a growing interest in interior design along with his ongoing Objects Collection, a furniture collection was his next foray. “[A beanbag] is banal, an everyday item, but I like to re-contextualize what is banal, what is luxurious,” Wang says of his creations, which will be available this February in stores.

Alexander Wang is rapidly becoming one of fashion’s most untouchable icons. With a global brand to his name and Creative Director of Balenciaga on his resume, the 31 year old designer now commands international attention for any new venture he undertakes. Yet despite the added pressure, Wang remains fearless, continually pushing into new and unfamiliar territory. Here we take a look at his latest project - a one-off furniture collection created in partnership with legendary Italian label Poltrona Frau. The collection consists of two bean bag chairs and a trunk bar, items which Wang selected specifically for their “banal,” everyday bearing. In reference to the bean bag, Wang stated, “I like to recontextualize what is banal, what is luxurious. To make it with Poltrona, that just completely changes it. And yet at the end of the day, it’s still a beanbag chair.” Wang’s furniture fully embraces the designer’s own iconic style – both the beanbags ($8,800 each) and the trunk ($18,500) are draped in monochrome matte black leather (with the beanbags getting a shearling option) and finished with solid brass accents. The overall look manages to gracefully oscillate between images of dorm rooms and art galleries, while the craftsmanship and high-quality materials courtesy of Poltrona add an arresting layer of class. Wang explained how he approached the collaboration with Poltrona: