A three-decade relationship between Hiroshi Fujiwara and Bang & Olufsen has crystallised into a limited-edition collection that applies Fragment Design’s restrained monochrome aesthetic to four of the Danish brand’s most recognisable products.
The collection covers the Beosound A1 portable speaker, the Beoplay H100 headphones, the architectural Beosound Shape tile system, and the Beosystem 9000c.
Each piece has been finished in Fragment’s signature black through a hand-polishing and anodisation process that Bang & Olufsen has applied to its portable products for the first time, producing a high-gloss liquid-like finish that the brand describes as achievable only by hand.
Fragment’s double lightning bolt and wordmark appear across all four pieces in the collection, with placement specific to each product: on the left ear cup of the Beoplay H100, beneath the grille of the Beosound A1, as an aluminium logo tag on the Beosound Shape’s seven-tile configuration, and integrated onto the CD clamper and speaker stands of the Beosystem 9000c when paired with Beolab 28 loudspeakers and a Beoremote One.
“This collaboration has been a long-time dream of mine. Since building my home around Bang & Olufsen’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,” says Hiroshi Fujiwara, founder of the Tokyo-based studio Fragment Design.
The collection debuts exclusively at a pop-up inside Isetan Department Store in Shinjuku, Tokyo, that runs from 20 to 26 May. It then extends across Japan from 27 May onwards before reaching a global audience on 3 June.
These special versions come with a slightly elevated price tag over the ‘standard’ versions. The Beoplay H100 carries an RRP of €1950 / $2400, the Beosound A1 3rd Gen is priced at €399 / $475, and the Beosound Shape configuration starts at €6000 / $7100.
The above three are available to purchase worldwide, while the made-to-order Beosystem 9000c setup, priced at €60,000 / $69,650, remains exclusive to Japan.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
