Jony Ive spent 27 years at Apple, including as its senior VP of industrial design and chief design officer, before leaving in 2018 to start his own design firm. His efforts were considered key to the success of the iPhone and now he’s bringing his skills to an entirely new area – apparel.
Ive’s firm LoveFrom has teamed up with fashion brand Moncler to produce a new jacket, but don’t expect a rehash of the status quo: this jacket spent four years in development, and features multiple, swappable layers that range from a down vest to a parka or a hooded poncho. The layers are mostly built with a single, uncut piece of recycled nylon that eliminates the seams.
Most Read on IEN:
But it’s the tiniest part that Fast Company calls “the star of the show.”
In an effort he calls a “very gentle, humble exploration,” Ive has created a modern new design for the most forgettable of components – the button.
Ive and the team at Moncler wanted to address the traditional challenge with modular jackets – that they take a lot of “fussing” with zippers or fasteners to connect and disconnect the layers. In search of a more simple and elegant process, Ive developed the “duo button.”
One half the button lives on the vest – the jacket system’s base – and relies on magnetism to connect to the shell layers. The report describes the magnetic “buttonhole” as a donut shape where, once it makes contact with the button, “pull(s) up a piston from the button base, which fills the donut hole and joins the two pieces with a satisfying click sound.” The result is a joined fastener that now becomes pressable to release. Not only was the idea to add ease and elegance to the process, it’s also likened to a “fidget” where it's enjoyable - even soothing - to use.
Ive elaborated that methods that allow users to connect something “where you didn’t have to pay attention“ already exist – Velcro, for example – but they weren’t satisfying. Not to mention, the new design addresses connecting a hard objective into flexible fabric without the use of thread.
So, what’s next for this famed designer? It’s anybody’s guess, but he did provide a hint that indicates the direction in which LoveFrom is unlikely to go: Ive told Fast Company, “I tried to do better zippers, and zippers are really hard.”
Click here to subscribe to our daily newsletter featuring breaking manufacturing industry news.
WEBVTT
X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:0
00:00.009 --> 00:05.730
Johnny Ive spent 27 years at Apple including as
its senior VP of industrial design and chief
00:05.739 --> 00:09.789
design officer before leaving in 2018 to start
his own design firm.
00:09.800 --> 00:14.989
His efforts were considered key to the success
of the iphone and now he's bringing his skills
00:15.000 --> 00:20.430
to an entirely new area apparel.
Ive's firm love fromm has teamed up with
00:20.440 --> 00:26.709
fashion brand Montclair to produce a new jacket
but don't expect a rehash of the status quo.
00:26.719 --> 00:31.809
This jacket spent four years in development and
features multiple swappable layers that range
00:31.819 --> 00:35.509
from a down vest to a parka or a hooded poncho.
00:35.950 --> 00:40.819
The layers are mostly built with a single uncut
piece of recycled nylon that eliminates the
00:40.830 --> 00:47.150
seams, but it's the tiniest part that fast
company calls the star of the show in an effort.
00:47.159 --> 00:52.409
He calls a very gentle, humble exploration.
Ive has created a modern new design for the
00:52.419 --> 00:54.750
most forgettable of components.
00:55.139 --> 00:59.349
The button Ive and the team at Montclair wanted
to address the traditional challenge with
00:59.360 --> 01:04.519
modular jackets that they take a lot of fussing
with zippers or fasteners to connect and
01:04.529 --> 01:08.550
disconnect the layers in search of a more
simple and elegant process.
01:08.580 --> 01:13.669
I've developed the duo button, one half of the
button lives on the vest,
01:13.680 --> 01:18.440
the jacket system space and relies on magnetism
to connect to the shell layers.
01:18.650 --> 01:23.669
The report describes the magnetic button hole
as a donut shape where once it makes contact
01:23.680 --> 01:28.599
with the button, pulls up a piston from the
button base which fills the donut hole and
01:28.610 --> 01:31.389
joins the two pieces with a satisfying click
sound.
01:31.940 --> 01:35.800
The result is a joint fastener that now becomes
press to release.
01:35.809 --> 01:39.239
Not only was the idea to add ease and elegance
to the process,
01:39.250 --> 01:44.669
but it's also likened to a fidget where it's
enjoyable, even soothing to use.
01:44.809 --> 01:48.730
I've elaborated that methods that allow users
to connect something where you didn't have to
01:48.739 --> 01:52.260
pay attention already exist.
Velcro for example,
01:52.580 --> 01:55.510
but they weren't satisfying.
Not to mention the new design address is
01:55.519 --> 01:59.430
connecting a hard object into flexible fabric
without the use of threat.
01:59.440 --> 02:02.949
So what's next for this fame designer?
Well, it's anybody's guess,
02:02.959 --> 02:08.119
but he did provide a hint that indicates the
direction in which love from is unlikely to go.
02:08.580 --> 02:11.580
I've told fast company quote, I tried to do
better.
02:11.589 --> 02:14.339
Zippers and zippers are really hard.
02:14.929 --> 02:16.869
I'm Anna Wells and this is manufacturing now.
