Apple and Japanese fashion house Issey Miyake have joined hands to launch an experimental new product — the iPhone Pocket, a minimalist textile sleeve designed to hold an iPhone and small essentials. The limited-edition accessory will go on sale from November 14 in select Apple Stores and online across eight regions, including the US, UK, Japan, France, Italy, Singapore, South Korea, and Greater China.

A modern nod to Steve Jobs and Miyake’s legacy

The collaboration between Apple and Issey Miyake recalls the late Steve Jobs’ iconic black turtlenecks, famously designed by Miyake. The new partnership continues that creative rapport, merging technology and fashion in a product that redefines functionality through design simplicity.

The iPhone Pocket reflects Miyake’s signature “a piece of cloth” philosophy — a concept focused on creating functional objects from a single, continuous textile. The result is a 3D-knitted sleeve that expands and contracts to fit not only an iPhone but also keys, cards, or AirPods, eliminating the need for additional compartments or seams.

Design inspired by pleats and minimalism

The iPhone Pocket is crafted using advanced 3D knitting technology, ensuring a seamless construction and minimal material waste. Its ribbed open structure draws inspiration from Issey Miyake’s renowned pleated fabric designs from the late 1980s. The textile subtly stretches to accommodate contents and becomes semi-transparent when extended, revealing the shapes and colours of the objects inside, including the faint glow of an iPhone screen.

The accessory can be worn in multiple ways — handheld, attached to a bag, or worn crossbody — and comes with two strap options:

  • Short strap version: Available in eight colours — lemon, mandarin, purple, pink, peacock, sapphire, cinnamon, and black.
  • Long strap version: Available in three colours — sapphire, cinnamon, and black.

The short-strap version is priced at $149.95, while the long-strap version retails at $229.95 in the US.

“The joy of wearing an iPhone”

Yoshiyuki Miyamae, design director at Miyake Design Studio, described the iPhone Pocket as a product meant to express “the joy of wearing an iPhone in your own way.” He added that the minimalist design is “a bond between the iPhone and its user” and allows for open interpretation in how it’s used and styled.

For Apple, the collaboration extends its ongoing effort to blend industrial design with contemporary fashion, following previous partnerships with Hermès for Apple Watch straps and Nike for performance wear.

Molly Anderson, Apple’s Vice President of Industrial Design, said the iPhone Pocket represents “craftsmanship, simplicity, and delight,” and offers a new, tactile way for users to personalise their devices.

A shared history of collaboration

Steve Jobs’ connection with Issey Miyake dates back to the 1980s when Jobs visited Sony’s headquarters in Japan and was inspired by the company’s employee uniforms designed by Miyake. Jobs even proposed a similar uniform for Apple employees, though the idea was rejected. Despite this, Jobs developed a lasting friendship with the designer, leading to his signature wardrobe of black Miyake turtlenecks, which became a global style icon.

Sustainability and innovation

The iPhone Pocket was designed and manufactured in Japan, where Miyake’s R&D teams have pioneered three-dimensional textile structures for decades. The seamless, 3D-knit construction eliminates excess stitching, reduces material waste, and reflects both brands’ commitment to sustainability and precision craftsmanship.

The collaboration brings together Apple’s design engineering ethos and Issey Miyake’s avant-garde approach to fashion, creating a product that sits at the intersection of art, technology, and everyday utility.