Tag Archives: braun

Virgil Abloh, CEO of Off-White, has passed away at the age of 41

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Multidisciplinary celebrity designer, CEO of Off-White and the artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear collection, Virgil Abloh has passed away at the age of 41 after battling a rare form of cancer.

An architect by training, Abloh’s involvement with international fashion started with an internship at Fendi’s in 2009, alongside Kanye West. Following a year-long collaboration with the rapper, Abloh founded Off-White in 2012, and was also hired as the artistic director for menswear at Louis Vuitton.

In the announcement done via an Instagram post on Virgil’s account, the statement says, “For over two years, Virgil valiantly battled a rare, aggressive form of cancer, cardiac angiosarcoma. He chose to endure his battle privately since his diagnosis in 2019, undergoing numerous challenging treatments, all while helming several significant institutions that span fashion, art, and culture.”

“Through it all, his work ethic, infinite curiosity, and optimism never wavered. Virgil was driven by his dedication to his craft and to his mission to open doors for others and create pathways for greater equality in art and design. He often said, “Everything I do is for the 17-year-old version of myself,” believing deeply in the power of art to inspire future generations.”

Rest In Peace.
Virgil Abloh
September 30, 1980 – November 28, 2021

Braun x Virgil Abloh

Earlier this year, Abloh partnered with Braun to mark 100 years since the founding of the German design giant, by helping redesign the 1965 Wandanlage, a hi-fi audio wall unit as well as the BC02 alarm clock (showcased below).

The product in question is the 1965 Wandanlage, a hi-fi audio wall unit that Abloh sought to update, turning it into ‘functional art’ that reflected Braun’s design values along with Abloh’s eclectic cultural and musical references from the past 100 years. In its 2021 edition, the new Wandanlage sports a beautiful chrome design that unites Braun’s love of the material (as seen in its 1960 SM3 shaver and 1961 T1 toaster) with Abloh’s hat tip to the glitz and the shimmer of chrome accents often associated with hip-hop culture through the later years.





About the collaboration, Virgil Abloh said, “I have always had a deep appreciation for Braun design. For the brand’s 100 years, I jumped at the opportunity to reimagine this iconic Braun product and challenge what we have come to expect from design. The “functional art” piece co-curated with Braun Design not only highlights the original function of the hi-fi wall unit that was the best audio of its time, but also the quality and durable materials that are built to last. As a creator, I continue to question how art is perceived in today’s culture. “Functional art” is a lasting legacy of the enduring power of good design that is simple, useful and built to last. In so doing, it advances the frames of design references beyond design ‘purists’ to broader audiences.” Abloh further described his inspiration and this collaborative journey in the video above, shot at Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s iconic Farnsworth house.

The post Virgil Abloh, CEO of Off-White, has passed away at the age of 41 first appeared on Yanko Design.

This vibrant geometric pencil sharpener brings some Braun inspiration to your desk!

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“My heart belongs to the details. I actually always found them to be more important than the big picture. Nothing works without details. They are everything, the baseline of quality.” A stationery design inspired by Braun’s styling needs Dieter Ram’s words to revise his design philosophy, a way to look into the minds that shaped the face of modern industrial design. To channel the same philosophies, we have this Braun-inspired pencil sharpener, and let’s look at how it touches the design principles in every facet of its design.

Meet the Co-Box, an electric pencil sharpener, minimal and geometric by design that is a worthy addition to every design nerd’s desk. The design is a white square shape, accentuated by an orange circle, reminiscent of the button we would see on our Braun machines. The circle also acts as an entry point for your pencil. The shavings get collected in a transparent box, to be disposed of at your conveniece. The design history of our 20th century is filled with iconic design moments, each one a point in time when the object became a part of our everyday life, almost seamlessly – all because of the nature of their design. This sharpener encapsulates the same timeless spirit and just like you hang your favorite posters on your wall, every designer holds an object by their iconic design mentors on their desk.

Simplicity, excellence, and functionality – these are the pillar of good design, and maybe having this sharpener on your desk will remind you to stay decluttered in your design philosophy, the way Dieter Rams envisioned good design should be!

Designers: Yang Lei, Bryan Ding, Canaan Wen with Yifeeling Design

Braun and Virgil Abloh collaborate to celebrate 100 years of ‘Good Design’

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Marking 100 years since the German company was first founded, and celebrating a century of changing the landscape of design and bringing Bauhaus art and German functionality to the world, Braun teamed up with designer, entrepreneur, and DJ Virgil Abloh to reinvent one of its classic products.

The product in question is the 1965 Wandanlage, a hi-fi audio wall unit that Abloh sought to update, turning it into ‘functional art’ that reflected Braun’s design values along with Abloh’s eclectic cultural and musical references from the past 100 years. In its 2021 edition, the new Wandanlage sports a beautiful chrome design that unites Braun’s love of the material (as seen in its 1960 SM3 shaver and 1961 T1 toaster) with Abloh’s hat tip to the glitz and the shimmer of chrome accents often associated with hip-hop culture through the later years. The design still reflects Braun’s ‘less is more’ philosophy, while the company also ensures that the original hi-fi audio remains the hero of the collaboration – and the technology still functions today as it did back in 1965.

About the collaboration, Virgil Abloh said, “I have always had a deep appreciation for Braun design. For the brand’s 100 years, I jumped at the opportunity to reimagine this iconic Braun product and challenge what we have come to expect from design. The “functional art” piece co-curated with Braun Design not only highlights the original function of the hi-fi wall unit that was the best audio of its time, but also the quality and durable materials that are built to last. As a creator, I continue to question how art is perceived in today’s culture. “Functional art” is a lasting legacy of the enduring power of good design that is simple, useful and built to last. In so doing, it advances the frames of design references beyond design ‘purists’ to broader audiences.” Abloh further describes his inspiration and this collaborative journey in the video above, shot at Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s iconic Farnsworth house.

Designers: Braun X Virgil Abloh


An image of the original Wandanlage sound unit from 1965.

From blending to steaming, this Dieter Rams-inspired modular kitchen appliance does 6 unique functions!

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Kitchen appliances can quickly turn into collections of bulky hardware and tangles of wire if we’re not careful. Blenders, toasters, kettles, and steamers – the wish list is endless and there’s always a new kitchen tool that could be added to our carts, and then when it comes time to organize, forget about it. Modular kitchenware designs come in handy when we feel that we’ve reached our limits…or storage capacities. Finding inspiration in the design language of Dieter Rams’ Braun collection, ChenKai Zhang created renderings for a modular kitchenware concept that’s as familiar and practical as the iconic Braun appliance.

Zhang recognized several strong points in Braun’s design language, including its timelessness, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and approachability. Zhang hoped to achieve a similar timeless feel for his modular kitchenware concept by attributing like-minded color schemes and construction materials to his product design. The clean coupling of stainless steel accents with a colorful coating of ABS plastic is reminiscent of Braun products and carries with it a sense of familiarity. With this combination of fresh, sleek display and a trusted construction process, Zhang developed his own interpretation of Braun’s approachable and timeless appeal. Zhang essentially universalized Rams’ mechanical design language to offset and charge one base component so that it can then provide power for other attachable kitchen appliances such as juicers, electric kettles, and blenders. Inside the base component, gear buckles, motors, and conductors all work together to either provide heating or power for the two mixing blades to run. The base component consists of a high-speed motor and a heating component to which users can attach and utilize most kitchen appliances. In order to take up less space in the kitchen, Zhang ensured that all of the kitchen modules were the right size to stack onto one another. Zhang also redesigned the spout for modules containing liquid by both flattening it, offering slower pours, and lengthening it for easy pickup.

An integrated interface of two aluminum switches, located on the design’s electric base component, gives users the option to either use a high-speed motor or a heater. Once decided, additional modular components can then be attached to the base component to prepare food items according to the chosen mechanism. In addition to the three modules mentioned, Zhang designed frying pan, steamer, and breakfast pot modules to attach to the base component for other options. The product design’s efficiency is attained through Zhang’s commitment to practicality above all else. This practical approach to design is shown through the modular kitchenware’s conceptualization phase. Moving through three generations of products, Zhang ultimately designed a modular tool for the kitchen that allows users to choose between six different functioning cooking appliances.

Designer: ChenKai Zhang

The Braun Audio 07 is a simple, yet sophisticated looking (conceptual) speaker system

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Embodying the tenets of good design in a way that would make Rams pretty happy, the Braun Audio 07 from Abdelrahman Shaapan does the job of playing music and looking minimal while it does. The Braun Audio 07 is a simple Spotify-playing machine with a bare-basics aesthetic and interface… In short, it’s sensible. It does what you want it to do, without a fuss, letting you navigate Spotify using a touchscreen display, while a volume knob that sits on the salt-pepper weave speaker-grill lets you adjust how loud your music is.

The speaker can be hung on a wall or placed on a surface like a desk or mantelpiece. Wire-routing pathways let you connect the Braun Audio 07 to a power source, and it seems like a secondary port lets you plug and connect multiple Audio 07s to create a powerful stereo setup.

Designer: Abdelrahman Shaapan

The first Braun speakers in 28 years are unexpectedly modern

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When the news broke in July that Braun Audio's speaker line was making a comeback, pretty much everyone at Engadget was immediately hooked. Thanks to a deal with Proctor & Gamble, Pure Audio now has the rights to the iconic speaker name. While ma...

Braun’s Dieter Rams-designed speaker line is making a comeback

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It's been 28 years since German consumer product maker Braun got out of the audio business, but any audiophile will still be able to recognize the company's classic LE range of speakers. Today, Braun announced that Pure Audio will launch new speakers...

A folding hairdryer that’s as simple and elegant as it gets

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Over the years we’ve seen so many flat-pack, compact hairdryers that they probably deserve a category of their own.

The beauty of compact hairdryers is because there are multiple ways of achieving the same goal. Some hairdryers come with folding handles, some with rotating handles, some with handles that detach, it’s just a playground for design details really. Take for instance Offject’s Apollo 11 hairdryer concept, which features a handle detail that allows the hairdryer’s vertical vent to dock right into it, creating a form that’s clean and singular when closed.

Created conceptually with the company Braun in mind, the hairdryer sticks to Braun’s signature simplistic stylings, with straight lines and perfect geometric details, everywhere from the form itself, to the details like the vent. My only hangup is the fact that when folded, the hairdryer doesn’t stand vertically, given the way the wire exits the handle, which would, personally speaking, connect it to its name Apollo 11 much more!

Designer: Offject

Braun inspired hub/SSD that channels your designer self

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Braun is the name behind some of the most iconic designs created over the last century, and because of this, the famous products are still being used as a source of inspiration to this day. This is certainly the case for this neat concept, which takes cues from Braun’s instantly recognizable design language, and incorporates them into a product of today… the infamous dongle.

The Braun MP01 concept addresses the issue of the diminishing number of connection ports that are found on new laptops; the dongle brings all of these missing ports into one compact device, and with a design style like this one, it’s not something you’ll complain about. The device features an asymmetrical design where an angular edge gently flows into a soft curve. Unnecessary detailing isn’t present on the device, instead it carries a clean aesthetic with minimal interruptions in the casing. The large glass cover not only looks the part, but also hints at MP01’s secondary feature… an external SSD. Could this be the perfect computer accessory?!

Designer: Ja Heon Lee