Project MAYBACH, Mercedes-Maybach x Virgil Abloh.
Project MAYBACH coincides with 100 years since Karl Maybach and his father Wilhelm debuted the first Maybach W 3 with the ambition of presenting the “best of the best”.
Following last year’s cooperation which saw the iconic Mercedes-Benz G Class be reimagined, artist, architect, engineer, creative director, and fashion designer Virgil Abloh is back to write a second chapter into the storied history of Mercedes-Benz – this time with Mercedes-Maybach. The polymath artist will collaborate with Mercedes-Benz Chief Design Officer, Gorden Wagener to create an electric show car, which will be unveiled on 1 December 2021 coinciding with Art Basel Miami Beach.
With a background in civil engineering and architecture, Virgil Abloh’s rarefied approach to luxury design strikes the perfect balance between form and function. Combined with Wagener’s innate understanding of luxury automobile design, the dynamic duo will push the boundaries of function, style and collaborative creativity. The resulting show car will steer the myth of the Maybach into the centre of the cultural zeitgeist, said Daimler’s Mercedes-Maybach.
“Today, Mercedes-Maybach is a brand that resonates beyond automotive and has come to symbolize status, innovation and value across industries and generations” says Bettina Fetzer, Vice President Communications & Marketing Mercedes-Benz AG. “A combination of the technical perfection of Mercedes-Benz, and the aspirational exclusivity of Maybach, Mercedes-Maybach offers a highly unique experience for our most discerning customers. We are excited to inspire both existing and new audiences to re-think what they thought they knew about this iconic brand, with our trusted partner, Virgil Abloh.”
“The Maybach legacy celebrates exploration, pushing creativity to new places, living outside of the status quo. In this next phase we’re embracing these ideals and bringing the Mercedes Maybach heritage into the future, inviting the next generation to join in revering this icon,” says Virgil Abloh. “Together we’re entering a new age of discovery.”
“With Project MAYBACH we define the next level of luxury” says Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer Mercedes-Benz AG. “After 100 years, we transform the brand into a luxury electric future. Together with Virgil, we are writing a new rule book for Mercedes-Maybach.”
Born in Rockford, Illinois, Virgil Abloh 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.
@Mercedes-Maybach 100 Years edition 2021
