Apple × ISSEY MIYAKE: iPhone Pocket — A Soft Turn in Tech
Quick Summary
Available at select Apple Stores and online; special‑edition collaboration crafted in Japan.
What It Is
A singular, 3D‑knitted pocket that stretches to fit any iPhone and small essentials. The ribbed, open textile nods to ISSEY MIYAKE’s iconic pleats, subtly revealing the iPhone display and enabling multiple wear modes: handheld, tied to a bag, or worn on the body.
Design Highlights
- “A piece of cloth” concept brought to devices
- Fully encloses iPhone; expands for AirPods/cards
- Mix‑and‑match palette designed to complement iPhone colors
- Crafted in Japan; close collaboration with Apple Design Studio
Wear Modes
- Short strap — handheld or on-bag8 colors
- Long strap — cross‑body or shoulder3 colors
Colors
Short Strap (8)
- Lemon
- Mandarin
- Purple
- Pink
- Peacock
- Sapphire
- Cinnamon
- Black
Long Strap (3)
- Sapphire
- Cinnamon
- Black
Pricing & Availability
| Variant | Price (U.S.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Short strap | $149.95 | 8 colors; handheld/on‑bag |
| Long strap | $229.95 | 3 colors; cross‑body/shoulder |
Sales channels: select Apple Stores + apple.com across France, Greater China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the UK, and the U.S.
Flagship Store Drop
Highlighted locations include: SoHo (NYC), Regent Street (London), Ginza (Tokyo), Jing’an (Shanghai), Piazza Liberty (Milan), Marché Saint‑Germain (Paris), Orchard Road (Singapore), Myeongdong (Seoul), Canton Road (Hong Kong), Xinyi A13 (Taipei).
Who It’s For
- Design‑forward users seeking a soft, minimalist way to carry iPhone
- Fans of Japanese textile craft and ISSEY MIYAKE’s pleated aesthetics
- Travelers and city walkers who prefer cross‑body or on‑bag carry
- Collectors of special‑edition Apple accessories
Pros & Trade‑offs
Pros
- Elegant, timeless textile with Apple‑grade finish
- Multiple wear modes; complements all iPhones
- 3D‑knit construction hints at lower material waste
Trade‑offs
- Premium pricing vs. conventional sleeves
- Fabric protection differs from rigid cases
- Textile lifespan may vary with daily wear
Editorial Take
iPhone Pocket reframes “wearables” by wrapping fashion around technology rather than embedding electronics in clothing. It’s a cultural pivot toward texture and tactility at a time when devices risk feeling cold and generic. Whether you buy one or not, the collaboration signals a broader direction for Apple: design that softens, personalizes, and weaves itself into daily life.
A new chapter in wearable aesthetics
Apple’s latest announcement is not about a chip, a camera sensor, or a new Vision Pro update. It’s about fabric — a 3D-knitted piece of cloth called the iPhone Pocket. And yet, this is quintessentially Apple. It’s the intersection of function, form, and fashion — where technology doesn’t just live in our hands, but begins to blend into what we wear.
Launched in collaboration with the avant-garde Japanese fashion house ISSEY MIYAKE, the iPhone Pocket reimagines the most basic accessory of the smartphone era: how we carry our devices. Available from November 14, 2025, the Pocket arrives as both an artistic experiment and a commercial product — priced at $149.95 for the short-strap version and $229.95 for the long-strap edition.
A minimalistic fusion: Japan meets Cupertino
When Apple partners, it doesn’t just pick a collaborator — it picks a philosophy. ISSEY MIYAKE has long stood for the ethos of “a piece of cloth” — simplicity that bends into utility, where the textile itself defines the experience. The fashion house’s iconic pleats and three-dimensional structures are designed not just to be worn but to live in motion with the body.
That very philosophy echoes Apple’s own design language: clarity, balance, and purpose. Together, the two companies have created what Yoshiyuki Miyamae of MIYAKE Design Studio calls “the joy of wearing an iPhone in your own way.”
Unlike the clunky, logo-heavy smartphone pouches that defined early 2000s gadget fashion, the iPhone Pocket feels like an organic continuation of both brands’ aesthetic heritage. It’s not trying to scream luxury — it whispers it through texture, restraint, and form.
The object itself: form follows fluidity
At its core, the iPhone Pocket is a singular 3D-knitted structure that can stretch, expand, and subtly reveal what’s inside. Think of it as a hybrid between fabric and sculpture — one that can hold not just your iPhone but also AirPods, cards, or small daily essentials.
Its ribbed open structure mirrors ISSEY MIYAKE’s signature pleats, while the translucency of the knit allows glimpses of the iPhone’s display, hinting at notifications or color — a design decision that blurs the line between concealment and connectivity.
Apple says the product can be “worn directly on the body, tied onto bags, or carried by hand.” That versatility, paired with Apple’s understated marketing visuals, makes it more than a sleeve — it’s a wearable statement. The Pocket becomes a continuation of your outfit, not just an accessory to your device.
The color story — emotion through tone
Apple has always used color as a subtle cue to personality. With the iPhone Pocket, the palette expands into fashion territory.
The short-strap design arrives in eight colors — lemon, mandarin, purple, pink, peacock, sapphire, cinnamon, and black.
The long-strap design focuses on three colors — sapphire, cinnamon, and black.
Each hue seems intentionally chosen to complement Apple’s iPhone lineup, allowing what Apple’s VP of Industrial Design Molly Anderson describes as “mix-and-match personalization.”
It’s a quiet nod to modular self-expression — the same idea behind Apple Watch bands and Vision Pro head straps — but this time executed through the tactile intimacy of textile rather than the rigidity of metal or plastic.
Reinterpreting “wearable” in 2025
The term wearable has been hijacked by tech marketers for over a decade, mostly referring to watches, glasses, or sensors. But the iPhone Pocket challenges that definition. It’s not tech inside clothing — it’s clothing built around tech.
This is the inverse of what most wearables attempt. Instead of embedding electronics into garments, Apple and ISSEY MIYAKE are embedding fashion into a technological lifestyle.
That’s an important philosophical shift. It says: the future of human-device interaction isn’t about more screens or more sensors — it’s about less friction and more integration with how we already live and dress.
It’s minimalism evolving into intimacy.
Design as narrative — not just product
Apple has always treated design as storytelling. From the original iMac’s candy-colored transparency to the unibody aluminum MacBook, every physical decision carries a cultural message.
The iPhone Pocket tells a subtler story — one about softness, sustainability, and emotional connection with devices we once saw as cold slabs of glass and metal.
By borrowing from ISSEY MIYAKE’s textile philosophy, Apple is hinting at a future where the company’s materials language might expand beyond metal and glass into something organic. Perhaps future Apple devices could integrate fabric surfaces, pliable forms, or 3D-woven exteriors — merging comfort with precision.
Why this matters for Apple’s broader strategy
To understand the iPhone Pocket, you have to see it not as an accessory but as a branding experiment — a signal of Apple’s growing interest in the fashion-technology convergence.
1. A return to design partnerships
Apple has collaborated before — think of Hermès for the Apple Watch or the PRODUCT(RED) initiative. But ISSEY MIYAKE represents a different kind of collaboration: one rooted in design philosophy rather than brand prestige. It’s Apple aligning itself with the artisanal futurism of Japanese design — a space few Western tech firms venture into.
2. A sustainable shift in materials
ISSEY MIYAKE’s 3D-knit process minimizes fabric waste by producing entire garments or objects in a single piece. If Apple is learning from this, it could feed into the company’s sustainability goals — reducing assembly waste or exploring textile-based device exteriors.
3. The lifestyle loop
Apple’s ecosystem has always been about owning the experience — hardware, software, and now, increasingly, the aesthetic of carrying. By extending its touch into apparel-adjacent accessories, Apple subtly moves closer to lifestyle domination: how you hold your phone, how you listen, how you look.
From aluminum to emotion
The design director’s quote, “the joy of wearing an iPhone in your own way,” encapsulates something profound: our relationship with devices has shifted from utility to identity.
We no longer just use our iPhones; we inhabit them. Our cases, wallpapers, and widgets reflect taste and personality. The iPhone Pocket is simply a natural continuation of that — a tactile shell of self-expression.
It’s Apple saying: what you wear can be an extension of how you connect.
Japan’s invisible influence on Apple’s design DNA
This collaboration is also a kind of homecoming. Apple’s industrial design has long been inspired by Japanese minimalism — from the Muji-like precision of Jony Ive’s early work to the Zen principles underlying Apple Park’s architecture.
ISSEY MIYAKE’s inclusion formalizes that lineage. It acknowledges Japan not just as a manufacturing hub but as a design mentor. The 3D-knit approach — elegant, efficient, and rooted in respect for materials — mirrors Apple’s mantra of less but better.
When Apple builds with ISSEY MIYAKE, it’s building with history — the same design philosophy that influenced Dieter Rams, Braun, and ultimately Apple itself.
Beyond utility: the rise of techno-couture
The iPhone Pocket might appear niche or even frivolous at first glance. But it’s a bellwether for a growing movement: techno-couture — where fashion houses and tech giants collaborate to redefine wearability.
From Prada’s collaboration with LG in the 2000s to Google’s Jacquard project with Levi’s, fashion-tech partnerships have often struggled to find substance beyond novelty. Apple, however, has the ecosystem and brand gravity to make such integrations feel natural.
If the Pocket sells well, expect Apple to iterate — perhaps an iPad Pocket, AirPods Pendant, or even Vision Band designed with similar principles. The boundaries between device, accessory, and clothing could blur into a single continuous aesthetic.
Cultural timing — softness after a decade of steel
The announcement also lands at an interesting cultural moment. After years of metallic dominance — from space-grade titanium phones to glassy laptops — the world seems to crave texture again.
Post-pandemic lifestyles have emphasized comfort, warmth, and tactility. Tech fatigue has led consumers toward objects that feel human again — woven, warm, and imperfect.
The iPhone Pocket taps into that longing. It’s a product designed not for specs but for sensation — the feel of knit fabric brushing against your palm, the satisfaction of a subtle stretch enclosing your device.
A commentary on the “pocket” itself
There’s something poetic in the name iPhone Pocket. For decades, pockets symbolized freedom — the ability to carry one’s world discreetly. Feminist fashion history even critiques how women’s clothing lacked functional pockets, reflecting societal roles.
By naming a product “Pocket,” Apple and ISSEY MIYAKE reclaim that metaphor in the digital age. The pocket becomes not a piece of clothing, but a piece of design autonomy. You decide where to wear it, how to carry it, and what it means.
It’s both nostalgic and futuristic — a pocket reimagined for the age of screens.
The price of design — luxury or accessibility?
At $149.95 and $229.95, the iPhone Pocket sits firmly in premium territory. For many, it’s a statement purchase, not a necessity. Yet Apple never intended it to be otherwise.
The pricing aligns with the company’s “aspirational accessory” strategy — similar to the $399 Hermès watchbands or $99 leather iPhone cases. These are not mass-market utilities but objects of design storytelling, limited in scope but unlimited in influence.
Expect early adopters, fashion editors, and collectors to embrace it first — the same audience that once lined up for the first U2 iPod or Gold Apple Watch Edition.
The retail theater
Another understated aspect is where Apple will sell it — select Apple Stores in design capitals: Paris, Tokyo, Milan, London, New York, Shanghai, and Seoul.
This isn’t a coincidence; it’s curation. Each store doubles as a cultural gallery. When displayed among iPhones and Watches, the Pocket becomes a tangible metaphor for Apple’s narrative: technology as lifestyle.
Expect Apple Specialists to be trained like stylists — helping customers mix and match the Pocket with phone colors, much like fashion retail associates pair garments.
The goal isn’t just to sell an accessory; it’s to choreograph an experience — one that positions Apple not only as a tech company but as a design house in its own right.
A new design vocabulary is emerging
Every era of Apple has had its defining object.
- 1984–2000: The Macintosh and its human-centered design.
- 2001–2011: The iPod and the minimal white-earbud aesthetic.
- 2015–2020: The Apple Watch and personal health narrative.
- 2025: The iPhone Pocket — perhaps the beginning of the wearable-aesthetic era.
If Apple Vision Pro represents the future of immersive computing, the iPhone Pocket represents the opposite — a return to tangible simplicity.
It reminds users that not everything needs to be digital to be revolutionary. Sometimes, innovation is a better-designed pocket.
Critiques and questions
No Apple release is immune to skepticism, and the iPhone Pocket invites a few legitimate questions.
• Function versus artistry
Is it truly practical to carry your iPhone in a stretchable knit? Does it protect the device from drops or moisture? For some, it might feel too artistic — a museum piece rather than a daily companion.
• Pricing and exclusivity
At nearly $150–$230, it’s inaccessible to many. Critics may argue that Apple could instead focus on democratizing sustainable materials or providing similar design experiences at scale.
• Longevity and durability
Fabric stretches, fades, and frays. Unlike metal or leather, it has a lifecycle. Apple’s marketing glosses over that — but it’s a conversation worth having about ephemeral design.
Yet those critiques miss a deeper truth: not every product needs to optimize practicality. Some exist to push cultural boundaries — to remind us that tech can be poetic.
What this says about Apple in 2025
Apple’s core identity is shifting — from a hardware innovator to a cultural curator.
The company that once sold computers now sells a complete aesthetic: from the color of your phone to the material that touches your skin.
And it’s not doing this out of vanity — it’s doing it to anchor relevance in a world where the smartphone is no longer “new.” As functionality reaches saturation, design becomes differentiation.
The iPhone Pocket is Apple saying: we still have new ways to surprise you — not with pixels, but with texture.
The philosophy beneath the fabric
ISSEY MIYAKE’s founder once said, “Design is not for philosophy; it’s for life.” Apple’s iteration of that idea seems to be: design is how life meets technology.
The iPhone Pocket is a meditation on that meeting point — a reminder that even in an age of AI and quantum computing, the most human form of innovation remains tactile, emotional, and deeply personal.
Conclusion: The beauty of the unnecessary
When the iPhone was first released in 2007, Steve Jobs famously called it “a revolution in your pocket.”
Eighteen years later, Apple has circled back — this time redefining the pocket itself.
It’s tempting to dismiss the iPhone Pocket as an overpriced sleeve. But that would be missing the meta-message: that design can still make us pause, smile, and touch. That technology can coexist with craft. That progress isn’t always about adding — sometimes it’s about softening.
In a world racing toward artificial everything, the iPhone Pocket is a reminder of something profoundly natural: our desire to feel connected — not just digitally, but physically.
And maybe that’s Apple’s quietest revolution yet.