Revolutionizing the Ordinary: Jony Ive and Moncler Unite in a Game-Changing Collaboration
Jonathan Ive’s Collaboration with Moncler: A Union of Design and Innovation
On a cloudy day in May, the air in San Francisco was refreshing and cool in two senses. The LoveFrom office is in a brick-façade building in Jackson Square in the city. It is a creative office founded by Jonathan (Jony) Ive, who was formerly Apple’s Chief Design Officer (CDO). I had tea in this office, warming my body, which had become chilled by the morning air. The tea was hot, as Ive would expect from a British native, and was served with milk and sugar.
While I was drinking tea from a white mug, Ive spoke poetically and passionately about the Moncler jacket he designed with his staff. “We had a very clear and pure motivation,” said Ive, now 57 years old. His design work during his time at Apple has made him one of the most famous tech designers in the world. “We wanted to collaborate… purely because we love working together,” Ive explains. Most of LoveFrom’s projects are inspired by this.
Two racks beside where we sit hold several down-filled base layer jackets in yellow and off-white, as well as three shell jackets in pale colors such as blue, green, and orange. The modular, gender-neutral pieces include an oversized parka, a pullover poncho with a hood, and a field jacket with a handy front pocket. At first glance, the pieces are simple, but the attention to detail is in keeping with the many other culture-changing Apple products Ive has worked on.
“I didn’t approach this project as a fashion designer, just as a designer.”
Since 2018, Moncler has collaborated with a variety of brands under its new project, Moncler Genius, including Valentino, JW Anderson, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, and Simone Rocha. But this one is different in nature from the other collaborations, says Ruffini, speaking over Zoom. “It’s more of a concept than a collection.”
When we think of Apple, we don’t just think of notebooks and smartphones, but of clean lines and innovative, intuitive designs. The minimalist, origami-like packaging that accompanies the products also forms part of the image. The words “Cupertino, California” written on the packaging also come to mind, don’t they? Apple’s headquarters is in Silicon Valley, where Ive, who has lived in San Francisco since 1992, commuted to work for nearly 2000 years.
“I didn’t approach this project as a fashion designer, just as a designer,” Ive said of his collaboration with Moncler. Of course, Ive is known for creating the distinctive look of Apple products, including the iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and AirPods. Although he is famous as the creator of the fashion label, Ive has never received formal training in fashion.
“When you step outside of your familiar territory, you become self-conscious and at the same time respect what you don’t know. I think the most important thing is to be clearly aware that you are designing for the people and to have a curiosity-based attitude. Whether you are designing a building, headphones, or clothing, the challenges you face in any creative project are fundamentally the same,” Ive emphasized.