Image via Complex Original
Just yesterday, British GQ's 25th anniversary cover hit the Internet, courtesy of the gracious RiRi. In case you haven't seen it yet, it features Rihanna swathed in snakes, looking like Medusa—a collaborative effort between the celebrity and Damien Hirst. We're just weeks away from Lady Gaga's ARTPOP release, and the cover is the result of the artistic marriage between Gaga and Jeff Koons. To hold us over until November 8, when we can get our hands on the celebrity-designed album, we decided to round up all of The 20 Best Celebrity Design Projects, covering furniture, architecture, fashion and graphic design. It features everyone aforementioned, Pharrell Williams, Brad Pitt, and even some unlikely celebrity designers like Vanilla Ice. Who knew celebrities could have such an eye for design?
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Lady Gaga X Jeff Koons
Date: Oct. 7, 2013
Lady Gaga and Jeff Koons came together in New York to create the cover art for her latest album ARTPOP. Koons designed a sculpture in which Lady Gaga appears to be giving birth to one of Koons' Gazing Balls. The piece also uses fragments of Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus. The album cover design shows a mash-up of pop culture, music, fine art, and art history, blending the different spheres in explosive visual form.
Pharrell Williams X Zaha Hadid
Date: Jan. 4, 2013
At the beginning of this year, Pharrell Williams—who is no stranger to fine art—confirmed in a Hypebeast interview that he'd be teaming up with legendary architecture queen Zaha Hadid. At the time, it seemed the two were just tossing around ideas. "There's a collaboration I'm working on with Zaha Hadid. We're touring around with the idea of a prefab for a house," he said. Neither have said much on their collaboration since then, but we can already tell it's going to be a killer. Looks like we'll just have to stay tuned to see what the two have in store for us.
Kanye West X Peter Saville
Date: In Progress
Kanye West has recently commissioned the well known graphic designer Peter Saville to create a personal identity for him. Saville spoke to Deezen about the project, saying "We're looking at ways of writing 'Kanye West'. What does 'Kanye' and 'Kanye West' look like written down?" Given Saville's previous work, such as the iconic Joy Division Unknown Pleasures album art, we look forward to seeing what the two will create.
Kanye West & Jay Z X Riccardo Tisci
Date: 2011
Satisfied with the "H.A.M." single cover done for them by Riccardo Tisci, Jay Z and Kanye West had the Givenchy designer help create the now iconic, all-gold-everything cover for Watch the Throne—an equally successful collaborative effort among the three. Hailed as "one of the biggest joint efforts in music history," the final product encapsulates the two rappers' supremacy in the world of hip-hop as well as Tisci's penchant for angular lines, symmetry, and religious iconography.
Lenny Kravitz X Philippe Starck
Date: April 18, 2012
Designer: Philippe Starck
Lenny Kravitz has been in the field of design since 2003 when he created his own design studio, Kravitz Design. For the project Kravitz reinterpreted six of the Mademoiselle Chairs designed by Philippe Starck for Kartell, an Italian furniture company. The designs were revealed during Milan Design Week 2012.
Vanilla Ice x Capitol Lighting
Date: Feb. 2013
Apparently Vanilla Ice created a line of chandeliers and snazzy-looking lamps with New Jersey company Capitol Lighting. Guess the rapper needed something to work on now that "Ice Ice Baby" isn't on the Top 40.
Pharrell Williams X Chad Oppenheim
Date: In Progress
In 2008 Chad Oppenheim and Pharrell Williams met at Art Basel. After quickly hitting it off, the two came together to create The Pharrell Williams Resource Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The 30,000 square foot project is designed to inspire the children of Pharrell's own hometown. Pharrell commented on the project, "I believe the architecture of a building says a lot about its soul and I wanted a building for the center that makes a statement to the world and the kids—something that will stand as a monument of optimism and felt Chad was the only architect that could capture that."
Bono X Jonathan Ive & Marc Newson
Date: Nov. 23, 2013
Bono has long been known as a philanthropist, so his next move should come as no surprise. The musician has announced that he has organized a (RED) auction that will celebrate design and innovation. Bono teamed up with Jonathan Ive and Marc Newson in order to create an epic pair of 18k rose gold ear buds with a custom case that will be auctioned off at the event on Nov. 23 at Sotheby's in New York.
Brad Pitt X Frank Pollaro
Date: Nov. 11, 2012
Brad Pitt and Frank Pollaro first met after the actor commissioned Pollaro to build custom-made furniture in 2008. The pair immediately bonded over a shared passion for design. Since then the two have worked together to create an incredible collection of 12 pieces of furniture.
Pharrell Williams "Tank Chair"
Date: 2009
During the 2009 Art Basel Miami fair Pharrell launched "The Tank Chair" at Emmanuel Perrotin Gallery. The chair is the second installment of his Perspective series. It is available in four colors and made out of plexiglass and full grain colt leather. The Perspective series is designed to encourage thought about issues that are often difficult to understand from our removed perspective. This chair expressed Pharrell's concern with war and the devastation that it causes.
Justin Timberlake X Estee Stanley
Date: May 9, 2012
Justin Timberlake recently teamed up with Estee Stanley, a celebrity stylist and interior designer, to create a line of home goods. The products are sold on their website, HomeMint.
Kate Winslet X Habitat
Date: 2007
Actress Kate Winslet tried her hand at design in a partnership with Habitat. The star designed an interesting secret box where you can hide your valuables in a stylish way for the UK-based design company.
Daniel Radcliffe X Habitat
Date: 2007
Daniel Radcliffe also took it upon himself to design something with Habitat. The actor collaborated with Habitat to create Cu-bed (read it closely), a jumble of blocks which can be re-arranged into a chair, bed, or whatever it is you want to recline on.
Daft Punk X Coca Cola
Date: Sept. 30, 2011
In 2011 Daft Punk decided to try their hand at design with a collaboration with Coca Cola. The finished product was a set of limited edition Coke bottles that had 24k gold details. The elegance of these collectors' items comes from the simplicity and attention to detail.
Kate Moss X Adidas
Date: Sept. 4, 2013
Kate Moss recently collaborated with Adidas to create a unique pair of shoes. These unique creations were auctioned off along with other celebrity designs to raise money for Stonewall, a gay, lesbian, and bisexual charity.
LeBron James X American Signature
Date: Nov. 2010
Before he was the king of the basketball courts, LeBron James was apparently also a furniture designer. Right around the time James made his move from Cleveland to Miami, James announced he would be working with girlfriend Savannah Brinson to team up with American Signature and debut a line of furniture. The endgame was a The HomeCourt, a line of basketball-inspired loft beds and some other pieces.
Pharrell Williams X Domeau & Pérès
Date: 2008
This one's a throwback. 2008 saw the first of Pharrell Williams' furniture-making days. He teamed up with French design house Domeau & Pérès to create the "Perspective Chair." The inspiration behind it was to portray the love between a man and woman.
Frank Gehry X Brad Pitt
Date: 2012
After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, Brad Pitt launched the Make It Right foundation in 2007 to build homes and buildings for those in need. The actor enlisted 21 local and international architects to help build 150 affordable, sustainable, and eco-friendly houses. Designer Frank Gehry completed the first of these houses last year. "I wanted to make a house that I would like to live in and one that responded to the history, vernacular and climate of New Orleans," Gehry said in a press release. "I love the colors that the homeowner chose. I could not have done it better."
M.I.A. X Versace
Date: October 2013
Just a couple weeks ago, M.I.A. released the collection her label Versus created with Versace. Inspired by counterfeiters who knock off Versace designs, the collection is a chock full of loud prints, with designs for both men and women. All hail M.I.A.
Rihanna X Damien Hirst for GQ UK
Date: October 2013
The cover for GQ UK's 25th anniversary was unleashed yesterday. Within moments of badgalriri posting an image on Instagram, the whole world was talking about the beauty's cover, directed by Damien Hirst. Though the issue hits newsstands October 31, we can already tell the entire project, featured inside the magazine, is going to be spectacular just from the cover.