Pioneering luxury with Mercedes-Benz and Virgil Abloh: Project Geländewagen marks the unification of fashion and art with automotive

Stuttgart.  In the first initiative of its kind, #projectgelandewagen sees #MercedesBenz collaborate with the polymath artist, architect, creative director and #fashion designer, #virgilabloh, to create a unique artwork from the iconic #MercedesBenz G-Class, which turned 40 in 2019. Working in collaboration with #MercedesBenz Chief Design Officer, Gorden Wagener, the partnership marks the unification of two worlds: #fashion and art with #automotive. The objective? To push the boundaries of each respective creative realm and rebuild the luxury landscape anew. The artwork will be digitally launched to a global audience on Tuesday 08 September 2020, 4:00PM CET and represents a new vision of luxury that is defined by the sharing of ideas and disciplines. Click here to sign up for event reminder. 

Both #MercedesBenz and Abloh felt compelled to help support the arts and the international creative community at a critical time. A one of a kind home-scale replica of the unique artwork will be auctioned off following September’s launch. All proceeds will be donated to a charity that supports the arts. The winner of the model auction will also receive exclusive access to the co-creators, including a personal introduction to the inspirations behind the artwork and the creative powerhouses’ aspirations for it.

 “Teaming up with #virgilabloh, one of the most influential and inspiring creatives of our time, represents Mercedes-Benz´ idea of Zeitgeist, co-creation and contemporary luxury – for both our products and our brand.” says Bettina Fetzer, Vice President Marketing at #MercedesBenz AG. “By launching #projectgelandewagen now we hope to inspire collaboration and creativity in our global audience.

 “Mercedes-Benz is a brand that stands for luxury and exceptional performance,” says #virgilabloh. “Truly a perfect chassis to interject modern artists’ ideas of what the future can be stylistically, within conceptual car design.”

“Mercedes-Benz today is much more than a luxury carmaker, it is a design brand and luxury label. One major reason for our success story is our aesthetic soul and the unique style of our house.” says Gorden Wagener. “The next step in pushing #MercedesBenz design is our collaboration with #virgilabloh. We are set to create something unseen in both of our branches,” states Gorden Wagener.

Recognising people’s ambitions and adapting to facilitate them, #MercedesBenz stands proudly as a brand that inspires creative minds around the globe. Drawing on the ingredients of #MercedesBenz DNA: exclusive materials, first-class craftsmanship and highly developed design which appeals to all the senses of a discerning clientele, Wagener and Abloh’s creation will embody Mercedes-Benz’ innate understanding of luxury, and how it can be a force for good.

About Virgil Abloh

Born in Rockford, Illinois, #virgilabloh is an artist, architect, engineer, creative director, and #fashion designer. After earning a degree in civil engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he completed a master’s degree in architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Chicago. At IIT, while studying a design curriculum devised by Mies van der Rohe, Abloh began to craft the principles of his art practice. The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago presented a major traveling survey of Abloh’s work in summer 2019 – one of the highest attended exhibitions in the museum’s history. Currently, Abloh is the Chief Creative Director and founder of Off-White and Men’s Artistic Director at Louis Vuitton.

About Gorden Wagener 

Born in Essen, Gorden Wagener is the Chief Design Officer Daimler Group – a position he has held since 2016. After studying Industrial Design at the University of Essen, he honed his skills in Transportation Design at London’s Royal College of Art. He joined #MercedesBenz over two decades ago. In 2008 he was made Director of Daimler AG´s Design unit. All current models of the Daimler Group vehicle portfolio bear Wagener's signature, from all #MercedesBenz passenger and commercial vehicles to all truck and bus brands forming today’s Daimler Trucks AG. His ground-breaking work has earned him a number of accolades including an honorary professorship at the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design in Budapest (2009) and an honorary doctorate at Sofia Technical University (2010).

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