Vollebak Unveils Rock Jacket Covered in 54,000 Slate Tiles
Vollebak has unveiled a unique piece, the Rock Jacket, adorned with around 54,000 slate tiles, each measuring 5x5 mm and 0.5 mm in thickness. Constructed on a neoprene foundation, this jacket is part of the brand's material-testing initiative, which has previously included items made from graphene, copper, walnut, and Dyneema. Collaborating with French technologist Steven Leprizé and employing the WooWood technique, the jacket's production entails 50 meticulous laser-cutting processes. Co-founder Nick Tidball remarked that slate represents the most ambitious material choice, aiming to confront disposable fashion by using a substance formed over millions of years. Vollebak intends to create a commercially available version within two years, despite the challenges in creativity and production.
Key facts
- Vollebak created a one-off jacket called the Rock Jacket covered in around 54,000 slate tiles.
- Each slate tile measures five by five millimetres and is half a millimetre thick.
- The tiles are attached to a neoprene base layer.
- The jacket is described by Vollebak as a "sci-fi-style Harrington jacket".
- It follows previous Vollebak jackets made from graphene, copper, American walnut, and Dyneema.
- French material technologist Steven Leprizé collaborated on the project, adapting the WooWood elastic marquetry technique.
- The WooWood technique was originally used for Vollebak's Wooden Jacket made from 250,000 pieces of laser-cut American walnut.
- Vollebak aims to release a commercially viable version of the Rock Jacket in two years.
Entities
Artists
- Nick Tidball
- Steven Leprizé
Institutions
- Vollebak
- Dezeen
- designboom
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- France
Sources
- Dezeen —
- Designboom —