Mercedes-Benz Korea has announced that it will hold a pop-up exhibition featuring the electric show car ‘Project MAYBACH,’ the last work of the world-renowned fashion icon the late Virgil Abloh, at the upcoming ‘2023 F/W Seoul Fashion Week’ starting on the 15th.
This two-seat electric off-road coupe ‘Project MAYBACH,’ inspired by nature, embodies traditional urban brands in off-road environments. It is a special model born from a second collaboration with Virgil Abloh, presenting the possibilities of future design.
The project was created as Virgil Abloh, in conjunction with Mercedes-Benz’s design chief Gordon Wagner, reinterpreted the luxury identity of Mercedes-Maybach into a new design language, expanding the boundaries of function, style, and creativity. It was first unveiled at the Rubell Museum in Miami, USA, following Abloh’s passing just before the launch in 2021, per his family’s wishes.
Through this pop-up, Mercedes-Benz Korea will introduce Project MAYBACH to fashion leaders in South Korea for the first time at Seoul Fashion Week. The event will be held from March 15 to March 19 at the Ulim Square space of Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), marking the finale of the Project MAYBACH Asia tour.
The pop-up booth and exhibition of ‘Project MAYBACH’ at Seoul Fashion Week will break away from traditional display methods, featuring an ‘outdoor adventure’ theme that combines dynamic media art inspired by Virgil Abloh along with the vehicle. Additionally, video footage capturing the vehicle design process by Abloh during his lifetime, along with sketches, will be exhibited on the first floor. This aims to provide visitors with a chance to experience beyond just a vehicle exhibition, giving insights into Abloh’s artistic world and the endless possibilities of Mercedes-Maybach.
Moreover, all visitors to the pop-up booth will have the opportunity to view merchandise resulting from a collaboration with the high-end street brand ‘Off-White,’ as well as various stickers, fabric stickers, postcards, and other goods available for direct experience.
Thomas Klein, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Korea, stated, “It is significant to showcase the tangible embodiment of ‘Project MAYBACH,’ which demonstrates the innovation of Mercedes-Maybach and the future of electric vehicles, through the genius of the late Virgil Abloh’s design at Seoul Fashion Week for the first time in Korea. As this work is created to inspire future generations and prompt ongoing questions about the present, we hope this pop-up exhibition will serve as an opportunity to ignite new inspirations and discussions about fashion and innovation among domestic fashion leaders and citizens alike.”
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr