A complete monochrome makeover.&nbsp;

When it comes to partnership, founder of Fragment Design Hiroshi Fujiwara believes that each work should be cherished and regarded as sacrosanct. Fragment Design&rsquo;s most recent collaboration with Bang &amp; Olufsen features subtle yet dramatic creative tweaks. Four B&amp;O icons receive the Fragment Design treatment, which expresses a black-on-black aesthetic approach that transforms the portable speaker Beosound A1, the Beoplay H100 headphones, the architectural Beosound Shape, and the Beosystem 9000c into innovative objects that speak for themselves while also remaining infinite.<o:p></o:p>
 The lineup exudes familiar authority (not the borrowed cool you see slapped on most co-branded drops) because Fujiwara&rsquo;s been living with this brand for over 30 years. &ldquo;This collaboration has been a long-time dream of mine. Since building my home around Bang &amp; Olufsen&rsquo;s integrated home sound system in the 1990s, the brand has been my first choice for audio. This collaboration feels like a meaningful continuation for our journey together,&rdquo; he says.<o:p></o:p>

At the portable end of the range is the Beosound A1 3rd Gen, with Fragment&rsquo;s double lightning bolt situated beneath the grille while the Beoplay H100 has the mark on the left ear cup highlighted by high-gloss aluminium accents. Both undergo a specific anodisation and hand-polishing process, drawing a liquid depth from the Tokyo-based multidisciplinary company&rsquo;s idiosyncratic black.<o:p></o:p>
 The Beosound Shape takes a more traditional design approach, with seven black and grey tiles of cloth in a muted floral pattern. Then there is the Beosystem 9000c, the most serious drop in the collection. It has minimalist, matte black surfaces with glossy natural aluminium and co-branded parts on the CD clamper and speaker stand and is fitted with Beolab 28 loudspeakers and a Beoremote One.
<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p> Though the technical flexes aren&rsquo;t especially loud, the intention of the collaboration seems to be less about making noise and more about revealing the equipment under the black shades.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>

Here, L&rsquo;OFFICIEL spoken with Hiroshi Fujiwara about the new collaboration with Bang &amp; Olufsen during the recent lunch event in Tokyo:

L&rsquo;OFFICIEL [L&rsquo;O] &nbsp;Do you still remember the very first Bang &amp; Olufsen item that you own?<o:p></o:p>
HIROSHI FUJIWARA [HF] Of course. It was the Beocenter 2300CD player.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>
L&rsquo;O That must have been back in the 1990s.<o:p></o:p>
HF Yes, it was. <o:p></o:p>
<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>
L&rsquo;O Do you see an audio system as a furniture, a tool or a companion? <o:p></o:p>
HF I&rsquo;d say somewhere between a companion and a furniture. <o:p></o:p>
<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>
L&rsquo;O Fragment Design is famous for knowing when to leave something alone. With this collaboration, what were the untouchables? <o:p></o:p>
HF I asked for the portable products to be polished so that they have a shiny finish and also to highlight Fragment&rsquo;s signature black tone. Those were my only two main requests.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>
L&rsquo;O Between the CD era and modern audio sound system, what do you miss most about the older forms of listening to music?<o:p></o:p>
HF I miss the creative artwork of the vinyl and CD album covers that you can actually see and touch; you don&rsquo;t get them from streaming music.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>
L&rsquo;O You collaboration often become collectibles. How do you keep an objects from becoming too precious to use?<o:p></o:p>
HF I don&rsquo;t believe in buying things just to keep them. For me, I always wear and use everything I buy &ndash; and so everyone who purchases these items will put them to good use.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>
L&rsquo;O In this B&amp;O collab, which details do you feel are closest to you personally?<o:p></o:p>
HF The black shade as well as the lightning logo. <o:p></o:p>

For more information, click <a href="https://www.bang-olufsen.com/en/int/story/fragment-collaboration">here</a>.

Introducing the dark and moody Bang & Olufsen x Fragment Design collection

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