Some may say the installation above looks like a pile of rugs. Others might liken it to a stack of mattresses secured together by black cable ties. For Demna, this sculptural piece of work called Droog Rag Bench is a commissioned piece by Dutch designer Tejo Remy for Balenciaga’s latest instalment of its Art In Stores project.
READ MORE: Why Balenciaga’s Couture Revival Matters
The series sees the house working with a guest collaborator to create original works displayed in selected flagship stores around the globe. It is just one of Demna’s many efforts to imbue a sense of art and culture in everything Balenciaga does. Cue the practice of casting creatives like an architect and performance artist to walk shows, the partnerships with visual artists, and the brand’s memeification of fashion.
Tejo Remy turned discarded fabrics from Balenciaga’s workshops into materials for his Droog Rag Bench.
Remy, who is best known for his furniture designs that look like amalgamations of found objects, riffed on the Rag Chair, a cult piece from 1993 that he made for Dutch design firm Droog Design. Like the O.G. which was constructed using upcycled garments and fabrics, Remy had kept the sustainability factor for the Balenciaga bench by piling together layers of the brand’s deadstock fabric and offcuts.
READ MORE: Balenciaga Puts A Cool, Glam Stamp On Sustainable Fashion
Besides the Paragon store, the bench is also on display at selected Balenciaga boutiques in cities from Berlin to Beijing. And for the first time in the history of Art In Stores, the piece will be available for purchase via a made-to-order service.
