In 2020 – a year prior to his untimely death in November of 2021 – the American fashion designer and entrepreneur began to explore with Cassina the implications of modularity, a pivotal theme in contemporary design. Building on the idea that active, playful participation in the arrangement of space by those who live with the furnishings should correspond to their own needs and habits, Abloh created the Modular Imagination design project: a geometric, stand-alone base unit, available in two sizes, for building worlds that are always new and suited to both private and public settings. The deceptively rigid matte black appearance conceals an unexpected softness that makes Modular Imagination a seat, as well as a table-top surface. A special connector allows the two pieces to overlap so the orange feet can lock into the top of the underlying block, yielding multiple optional uses – as an ottoman, a bench or a table.
While sharing values similar to those that resulted in masterful icons like the Tabouret by Le Corbusier, Modular Imagination symbolises the expression of how, in a versatile world, we can best live in a modern home. Thanks to the work conducted by Cassina LAB, the product’s components can easily be disassembled at the end of its life cycle. A broken line, located under the feet, indicates the place in which the soft polyurethane – with a percentage of polyols derived from biological sources – can be cut, separating it from the recycled wood structure to facilitate proper recovery and recycling of the elements at the end of its life cycle.
Remaining absolutely faithful to the work of Virgil Abloh, Modular Imagination becomes part of the Cassina catalogue as another of the creative’s quality contributions to the world of design. The reference to Virgil Abloh’s graphic design studio is likewise apparent in these unique design elements, thanks to the distinctive round ‘Cassina-Abloh’ logo, reproduced in bas-relief on every surface.
