I use it to haul my clothes to the laundromat every weekend. So does my roommate. So, probably, do you. Clocking in at a hefty 19 gallons, Ikea's bright-blue polypropylene Frakta bag (an astonishing 99 cents) is possibly the brand's most ubiquitous product, a totem of global dominance as synonymous with the Swedish brand as its beloved meatballs. Obviously, they're on to something with that one. And if it ain't broke, don't fix it — right? Wrong.
At the third annual Democratic Design Days conference at the retailer's headquarters in Älmhult, Sweden, design manager Marcus Engman revealed a 2017 prototype of the Frakta developed in collaboration with the Danish company HAY. Husband-and-wife design duo Rolf and Mette Hay chose to reimagine the iconic sack in dark green, a color that, I think is safe to say, no one really associates with Ikea. But maybe that's a good thing?
Mette revealed at the conference that it was her dream to tackle some of Ikea's most basic necessities. "I was driving from the airport to our house on a Sunday evening and saw so many people on the street with that blue bag," she recalled. "This bag is an icon of Ikea...we worked with colors that will be long-lasting and I hope people will find them interesting."
While the full 70-piece collaboration won't hit stores for months, we assume this design will prove to be one of the most divisive. What do you think — are you clamoring for a new spin on this classic design or are you #TeamBlueBag for life?
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