Additional Coverage:
- Apple is now selling a $150 sling for your iPhone made by the same designer who created Steve Jobs’ iconic black turtleneck (fortune.com)
Apple and ISSEY MIYAKE Unveil “iPhone Pocket,” A Fashion-Forward Blast from the Past
Cupertino, CA – Apple dropped a surprising announcement this Tuesday, revealing a new partnership with Japanese fashion powerhouse ISSEY MIYAKE. The collaboration brings us the “iPhone Pocket,” a limited-edition accessory that carries the creative vision of design director Yoshiyuki Miyamae, who previously helmed the label’s womenswear line from 2011 to 2019. This isn’t the first time these two companies have crossed paths; their relationship stretches back decades to when ISSEY MIYAKE founder Issey Miyake crafted the iconic black mock turtlenecks synonymous with the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
The iPhone Pocket, set to launch this Friday, November 14th, is described by both Apple and ISSEY MIYAKE as featuring a “singular 3D-knitted construction” inspired by the concept of “a piece of cloth.” This stretchy, ribbed accessory fully encloses an iPhone, while its open textile design allows users to glimpse their screen when stretched. Versatile in its use, it can be worn handheld, tied to bags, or directly on the body, expanding to accommodate phones, AirPods, and other everyday essentials.
The design draws inspiration from A-POC (A Piece of Cloth), an innovative manufacturing system established by Issey Miyake in 1998 that produces garments from a single 3D-knit piece of fabric. Miyamae, who now leads A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE-a brand launched in 2021 that operates outside traditional seasonal fashion constraints-stated that the iPhone Pocket explores “the concept of ‘the joy of wearing iPhone in your own way.'”
“The design of iPhone Pocket speaks to the bond between iPhone and its user, while keeping in mind that an Apple product is designed to be universal in aesthetic and versatile in use,” Miyamae said in Apple’s announcement. “The simplicity of its design echoes what we practice at ISSEY MIYAKE – the idea of leaving things less defined to allow for possibilities and personal interpretation.”
The accessory comes in two versions: a short strap design retailing for $149.95, available in lemon, mandarin, purple, pink, peacock, sapphire, cinnamon, and black; and a long strap design, priced at $229.95, offered in sapphire, cinnamon, and black. Both designs are crafted in Japan and are compatible with any iPhone model. Molly Anderson, Apple’s VP of industrial design, noted that the “color palette of iPhone Pocket was intentionally designed to mix and match with all our iPhone models and colors.”
A Nod to History: Jobs, Miyake, and the Black Turtleneck
This collaboration carries particular resonance due to the historical connection between Steve Jobs and Issey Miyake. In the 1980s, Jobs was captivated by the company uniforms Miyake had designed for Sony-a taupe nylon jacket with removable sleeves that converted into a vest. Jobs approached Miyake to create a similar vest for Apple employees, though the idea was reportedly “booed off the stage” when presented to staff.
However, this interaction blossomed into a friendship between the two men. “So I asked Issey to make me some of his black turtlenecks that I liked, and he made me like a hundred of them,” Jobs recounted to his biographer Walter Isaacson, adding that it was enough to last him the rest of his life. These black mock turtlenecks, paired with Levi’s 501 jeans, became Jobs’ distinctive personal uniform and helped solidify his image as one of the world’s most recognizable CEOs.
Issey Miyake, born in Hiroshima in 1938, founded the Miyake Design Studio in 1970 after studying graphic design and training with renowned designers in Paris. He became celebrated for his technology-driven clothing designs and pioneered the pleating technique that became his signature, launching the Pleats Please line in 1993.
Miyake stepped back from designing the main ISSEY MIYAKE collections in 1999 to focus on research, eventually establishing the Miyake Issey Foundation in 2004 to support emerging creatives. Miyake passed away in August 2022 at the age of 84 after a battle with liver cancer.