With an understanding of the need for constant ideation, Cassina and Luminaire have been pioneers of design thinking and retail for several years, putting them in a class of their own. For this year's Miami Art Basel festival, the two brands have teamed up to commemorate one of design's most progressive thinkers: Virgil Abloh. First appearing at Milan Design Week earlier this year, Luminaire now has the pleasure of giving Modular Imagination by Virgil Abloh for Cassina its North American debut.
“Design is more than products themselves,” says Anthony Morey, Luminaire’s VP of Design. “It's a culmination of stories, histories, and endless conversations along the way that make up the world around us.”
Created in conjunction with the luxury furniture brand Cassina, Modular Imagination by Virgil Abloh is a project the late designer first formulated back in 2020 and draws inspiration from the creative process of play. Composed of two different-sized matte-black blocks that can be combined to adapt and rebuild your space, this latest project is giving adult building blocks in the best way possible.
Aiming to both question and develop the design implications of modularity, this Abloh x Cassina collaboration is an open invitation to revisit that childhood desire to create your own world and apply it to your current environment. Designed with cylindrical rubber feet and slots to seamlessly join pieces together, these textured cubes made with soft polyurethane upholstery encourage the imagination to run wild with possibilities for manipulating the space around us. Whether made into a couch or a simple side table, Modular Imagination is an inventive series that offers a dynamic solution for a versatile world.
“Cassina has always had a cross-cultural approach to design, working with creative talent from different industries to explore and develop innovative ideas,” shares Cassina CEO Luca Fuso. “We are honoured to have developed Modular Imagination with Virgil Abloh and include it in our catalogue rather than launch it as a limited-edition drop.”
In honor of Abloh's legacy, Cassina and Luminaire are constructing a distinct installation to welcome this unique product into its new home. The installation, hosted in conjunction with us here at Highsnobiety, will feature a variety of structures made with the blocks showcased in one of Luminaire's main display windows, serving to represent the malleability of the environment Abloh aimed to manifest with this project.
Combining Luminaire’s passion for the art of design with Abloh x Cassina’s forward-thinking product further reveals how much can be accomplished within the discipline. For fans of all three, it’s an opportunity to tap back into that familiar feeling of creating while paying hommage to one of the greatest to ever do it.
Shop Modular Imagination by Virgil Abloh at Luminaire and globally in-store or online at cassina.com.
Photos: Modular Imagination by Virgil Abloh – Cassina, ph. Valentina Sommariva
