Apple x ISSEY MIYAKE: The $150 iPhone Pocket
The same person who created Steve Jobs’ iconic black turtleneck is now selling a $150 iPhone sling from Apple.
On Tuesday morning, Apple made an unexpected announcement: it has teamed up with ISSEY MIYAKE, a Japanese fashion brand, to introduce the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition accessory.
The creative vision of Yoshiyuki Miyamae, the design director who oversaw ISSEY MIYAKE’s womenswear line from 2011 to 2019, is reflected in this new product.
This partnership revives a long-standing link between the two companies, which started when the label’s founder, Issey Miyake, created the black mock turtleneck that came to represent Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
iPhone Pocket: A Single Piece of Cloth Inspired a 3D-Knitted Design
Apple and ISSEY MIYAKE describe the iPhone Pocket, which is scheduled for release on Friday, November 14, as a “unique 3D-knitted creation” that was inspired by the concept of “a single piece of fabric.”
The iPhone is fully covered by this elastic, ribbed attachment, yet when it is stretched, users can see the screen.
It is flexible enough to fit an iPhone, AirPods, or other tiny necessities and may be worn directly on the body, linked to a bag, or held in the hand.
Motivated by A-POC Technology
A-POC (A Piece of Cloth), an inventive manufacturing concept created by Issey Miyake in 1998 that creates clothing from a single 3D-knitted piece of fabric, served as the model for this design.
Apple x ISSEY MIYAKE: The $150 iPhone Pocket
According to Miyamae, who is currently in charge of A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE, a brand that was introduced in 2021, the iPhone Pocket delves into “the joy of wearing your iPhone in your own way.”
Two sizes and a variety of colors are available.
The iPhone Pocket is available in multiple colors and two lengths.
Lemon, Mandarin, Purple, Pink, Peacock, Sapphire, Cinnamon, and Black is the abbreviated version.
Long version: Black, Cinnamon, and Sapphire.
The long strap model costs $229.95, while the short strap design costs $149.95. Both are compatible with every model of iPhone and are manufactured in Japan.
Molly Anderson, VP of Industrial Design at Apple, stated:
“The iPhone Pocket’s color scheme was thoughtfully created to blend in with all of our iPhone models and hues.”
Steve Jobs and Issey Miyake’s Story
There is particular historical significance to this partnership.
Steve Jobs was captivated with Issey Miyake’s taupe nylon jacket with removable sleeves that could be worn as a vest when he visited Sony in the 1980s.
Jobs requested that Miyake design a similar vest for Apple workers, but his team rejected the notion.
But the two men became lifelong friends as a result of their encounter.
Later, Jobs told Walter Isaacson, his biographer:
“I asked Issey to make me some of his black turtlenecks that I liked, and he made me about a hundred—enough to last me a lifetime.”
Steve Jobs became one of the most famous CEOs in the world thanks to his distinctive black turtlenecks and Levi’s 501 trousers.
Issey Miyake: The Link Between Art and Technology
In 1938, Issey Miyake was born in Hiroshima.
Before starting the Miyake Design Studio in 1970, he learned under Guy Laroche and Hubert de Givenchy in Paris while studying graphic design at Tama Art University.
He developed a unique pleating method that became his signature and gained notoriety for his technologically advanced garment designs. In 1993, he introduced the famed Pleats Please collection.
In order to concentrate on research and innovation, Miyake left the major ISSEY MIYAKE collections in 1999.
Later, in order to assist up-and-coming artists, he established the Miyake Issey Foundation in 2004.
After fighting liver cancer, Miyake died in August 2022 at the age of 84.
NewsTrendIT employed generative AI to assist with the first draft of this piece. Before printing, an editor checked that the information was accurate.
Apple x ISSEY MIYAKE: The $150 iPhone Pocket Inspired by Steve Jobs’ Iconic Style.
