If you are too cool to stash your phone in your pocket, how about a knitted sling instead? Photo: Apple
Fashion and technology may seem worlds apart, but the two industries have long been intertwined.
Just last week, Apple announced a collaboration with Issey Miyake, resulting in a knitted “pocket” designed to carry phones.
The partnership builds on a decades-long connection. After all, the Japanese fashion house famously produced the black turtlenecks worn by Apple’s late co-founder, Steve Jobs.
At first glance, tech bros and style lovers might appear to share little in common. Their worlds overlap more than you would think though.
Clothes dwell on aesthetic details – the placement of buttons or the feel of materials. It is the same for gadgets, where words like “sleek” and “minimalist” describe not just their function, but the experience of using them.
Chic jewellery can sometimes surprise you by doubling as both a watch and a pair of earphones. Photo: Chanel
Runway looks can be inspired by mobile phones, like in the case of Kit Woo. Photo: Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week
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Fashion brands have been exploring wearables for quite some time now.
Coperni unveiled limited-edition sunglasses with built-in recording capabilities during its Paris Fashion Week show in March.
Working with Ray-Ban Meta, the Parisian label merged cutting-edge innovation with runway glamour.
Chanel unveiled a necklace last year that doubles as a watch and earbuds. The curious design, produced independently by the fashion house’s watch division, lets wearers listen to music, take calls and, of course, tell the time.
Jewellery watches are nothing new in fashion, but earphones as chic accessories still feel novel (albeit a little early-2000s, given that most tech products have long since gone wireless).
Apple’s enduring partnership with Hermes continues to blur the line between luxury and utility, transforming everyday tech into covetable fashion.
Similarly, Thom Browne’s collaborations with Samsung reinterpret gadgets through the lens of crisp tailoring and timeless design.
Even New York-based designer Sandy Liang has partnered with Android to create playful, feminine phone accessories that fit seamlessly into her aesthetic universe.
The same words used to describe a sleek device, like ‘sophisticated’, can just as easily apply to a finely tailored suit. Photo: Thom Browne
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In Malaysia, Samsung has collaborated with homegrown names to craft stylish tech accessories.
Nazifi Nasri created a leather pouch and mini handbag, while Pestle & Mortar Clothing designed a street-style carryall – all tailored to hold a phone.
Xiaomi once tapped Kittie Yiyi for colourful, whimsical cases, and just this August, Kit Woo sent eight looks down the runway inspired by a Vivo smartphone.
As the boundaries between fashion and technology continue to blur, one thing is clear – style today is no longer confined to the clothes we wear or accessories like bags, shoes or jewellery.
While not all such designer gadgets were well received (the Issey Miyake and Apple tie-up has since been ridiculed by social media users), they still show that being fashionable can extend to the devices we carry.
After all, was it not said that leaving your phone behind feels a little like stepping out of your house without clothes?
