Heritage Swiss brand Victorinox has partnered with Off-White for a rather slick take on the classic Swiss Army Knife, presenting a very rare blend of utility tools and fashion designed by the late Virgil Abloh. Officially dubbed the Off-White c/o Victorinox Limited Edition Swiss Army Knife, the exclusive multi-blade tool has been reimagined by the luxury Italian label as an extremely limited edition collector’s item with only 3,000 pieces available worldwide with sequential numbering engraved on the blade.
Victorinox is no stranger to partnering up with some of the fashion world’s biggest names. Earlier this year, the Swiss label lent its aesthetic to adidas for the EQT 93 sneaker and a matching Swiss Army Knife. This Off-White collaboration, however, looks a touch more sophisticated and is a high-concept throwback to the shapes of ancient stone tools used for cutting, drilling, skinning and other tasks in prehistoric times.
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It seems like the Off-White Swiss Army Knife was one of the final collaborations Abloh worked on before his passing almost exactly one year ago. Reportedly, the visionary American designer was thinking about the origins of mankind and how he can sketch that onto a completely redesigned Swiss Army Knife when he approached Victorinox with the idea.
The most obvious expression of prehistoric times is that the knife, saw and bottle opener resemble the jagged edges of rock jutting outwards from the main body of the knife, which is crafted from a special material called Corian Solid Surface, which Victorinox has never used before. It’s a solid, nonporous, homogenous surfacing material composed of resin and natural minerals like aluminium trihydrate, helping build up a texture that feels like real stone.
The scales of the pocket knife are white with black prints, giving the Off-White c/o Victorinox Limited Edition a very polished look when compared to the classic red Swiss Army Knife. On the front scale, the Victorinox Cross & Shield logo has been printed with the name and year of this limited edition piece. Flip it over to the back and you’ll see a series of images tracking the evolution from stone to tool.
For Victorinox, such a brand that is steadfastly steeped in tradition and is typically seen as fairly unwavering in terms of design, the partnership with Abolh has reportedly widened the Swiss brand’s scope.
Speaking to Wallpaper, Victorinox CEO Carl Elsener Jr said that the brand wants to “become more modern, more fresh.”
The desire to modernise has been expressed through a new London store with the label’s outdoor, watch, luggage and fragrance collections.
The [Off-White] collaboration has made us more daring. We are so happy and so excited – the only sad thing is that Virgil isn’t here too.”
The Off-White c/o Victorinox Limited Edition Swiss Army Knife is available in Australia for $999.
