Bang & Olfusen and Kvadrat's pointilism-inspired headphones

Left, A1 speaker, in clay. Right, over-ear wireless headphones, in clay

(Image credit: Bang & Olufsen)

The mild colours of Scandinavian summertime inspire the limited edition S/S19 collection from Bang & Olufsen, available from today. Featuring over-ear wireless headphones, active earphones, and a portable speaker, the collection also offers headphone accessories in Ria fabric by Kvadrat/Raf Simons.

The fabric – part of an ongoing collaboration between the Kvadrat and the Belgian designer – covers hand-held headphone pouches, and is typified by its mottled blending of colours, inspired by pointillism: an apropos reference, considering Bang & Olufsen's famously dotty speaker meshes (pictured top left). The Ria fabric unites three tones of yarn: a thin, single-toned thread base, through which two colours of thicker yarn are woven, to create a subtle graining across the surface.

As with pointillism, Ria's fragmented colours create a pleasing modulating effect, emulating the exploration of three-dimensional textures found across Kvadrat/Raf Simons collections. There's a certain roughness to Ria, that contrasts with the smoothness of the lambskin headphone covers.

Easy on the ears, each headphone in the collection is typically soft and comfortable, reflected in the new colourways, which are equally easy on the eye. They're also proudly Nordic. Clay – a deep, earthy tone, is inspired by chalky cliffs found across Scandinavia; a vegetal Pine colour evokes the forest, while Sky has a cool sense of breezy summer afternoons.

INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Bang & Olufsen website

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Elly Parsons is the Digital Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees Wallpaper.com and its social platforms. She has been with the brand since 2015 in various roles, spending time as digital writer – specialising in art, technology and contemporary culture – and as deputy digital editor. She was shortlisted for a PPA Award in 2017, has written extensively for many publications, and has contributed to three books. She is a guest lecturer in digital journalism at Goldsmiths University, London, where she also holds a masters degree in creative writing. Now, her main areas of expertise include content strategy, audience engagement, and social media.