HOW IKEA BECAME ONE OF FASHION’S MOST UNLIKELY INSPIRATIONS

There are a few certainties in life: death, taxes and IKEA. With a brand as big and iconic as this one, it seems most of the world has encountered an Ikea at some stage in their life, whether that’s in a bid for some new furniture, a mooch around the showrooms or on a pilgrimage to the Swedish meatballs.

If this sounds familiar, it’s not a stretch to suggest that you also will have encountered the Frakta – the iconic blue shopping tote. Whilst you may be accustomed to lugging around household objects in one, this may actually have been an unwitting fashion moment. People have been taking inspiration (and material) from these classic IKEA bags for years now, so we thought it was high time we looked at how IKEA became one of fashion’s most unlikely inspirations.

Well, as mentioned, there’s a certain charm to the kitchy yet familiar blue tote, and as they come for a mere 75p (or US$1), they’re the perfect canvas on which to get creative. A few years ago, we saw an explosion of DIY IKEA-derived bucket hats hit the scene, with creatives repurposing the iconic Fraka bag into the perfect waterproof bucket hat. As well as going viral in streetwear spaces online, IKEA itself actually took note, and released their official version ‘KNORVA’ back in 2020. 

The ‘official’ IKEA bucket hat remains simple, almost matching the DIY hats that inspired it years before. Constructed from the Frakta bag’s blue polypropylene material, with the IKEA-branded handle added above the brim, the product’s description merely states that it’s a “hat” that is “easy to carry with you.” They definitely know how to get to the point.

This wasn’t the brand’s first foray into the world of headwear, though. Previously IKEA had inspired LA-based brands Pleasures and Chinatown Market to create a six-paneled baseball hat, priced at £29 / US$38.