In an era where irony sells faster than innovation, Apple’s new Issey Miyake collaboration feels like the latest exhibit in the museum of hype, right next to Balenciaga’s duct-tape dress and Cattelan’s infamous banana. It’s the perfect collision of tech, fashion, and performative minimalism, where the illusion of meaning is worth more than the product itself.
What used to be parody is now profit. These “conceptual” releases package absurdity as luxury, feeding a culture that rewards exclusivity over authenticity. The Apple x Issey Miyake collection isn’t about functionality or creativity, it’s about the spectacle. It’s capitalism wearing a designer label, sold to us as under the facade of exclusivity.
Apple and Issey Miyake have introduced the “iPhone Pocket,” a limited-edition accessory that looks more like a fashion statement than a practical gadget. The long-strap version retails at $229.95, while the shorter model is $149.95.
Technically, it’s a 3D-knitted ribbed “sock-pouch” designed to hold your iPhone (and maybe a few essentials) and can be worn crossbody, over the wrist, or attached to a bag. It comes in two sizes: the long-strap version in three colors (sapphire, cinnamon, black) and the short-strap version in eight colors (lemon, mandarin, purple, pink, peacock, sapphire, cinnamon, black), allowing users to “mix and match” with their devices.
And perhaps that’s the genius of it all. We’re no longer consumers of innovation but participants in a global performance of irony, applauding while swiping our cards. The banana, the tape, the sock bag they’re all part of the same cultural joke. The only question left is: who’s laughing?
