In 2019, after a 27-year stint at Apple, Jony Ive and former colleague Marc Newson co-founded the design consultancy LoveFrom. Although LoveFrom initially maintained a partnership with Apple, this collaboration ended in June 2022.
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LoveFrom: Jony Ive's Post-Apple Era
Jony Ive never considered himself a rebel, even though the Apple products he spearheaded in design revolutionized not only the world of consumer electronics but our world at large.
When he met Steve Jobs, the two connected on an incredibly deep level. Jobs not only understood Ive but could articulate ideas that Ive found difficult to express, communicating them to the world with seeming effortlessness.
The inspiration for Jony Ive's company name, "LoveFrom," came from a statement by Steve Jobs :
One of the fundamental motivations was that when you make something with love and with care, even though you probably will never meet the people that you're making it for, and you'll never shake their hand, by making something with care, you are expressing your gratitude to humanity, to the species.
Steve Jobs once said at an employee meeting
From this humble beginning, LoveFrom has consistently pursued creation with "love and care."
LoveFrom's client roster includes Exor, Ferrari's major shareholder, with whom they're developing an electric vehicle slated for a 2025 launch. Additionally, LoveFrom has been involved in diverse projects, from Christie's auction exhibition spaces to Airbnb's user experience design.
MONCLER x LoveFrom
The collaboration between LoveFrom and luxury down jacket brand MONCLER exemplifies how Ive's team elevates seemingly mundane objects to artistic and engineering heights. This partnership, initiated in 2019, began when MONCLER was exploring the use of recycled nylon fibers. Ive proposed a bold idea: designing a coat made from a single piece of fabric, without seams.
On September 24, 2024, the MONCLER x LoveFrom collection officially dropped, available through limited pre-orders. With the most affordable item priced above $2,500, most styles quickly sold out, indicating the market's enthusiasm for this innovative design.
The collection's centerpiece is MONCLER's iconic down jacket, Moncore, integrated with other items like windbreakers, field jackets, and hooded capes through an innovative button system.
Duo Button
The Duo Button system is the fruit of LoveFrom team's five-year research, which even resulted in a five-volume study on the history of human clothing fastener design.
The Duo Button isn't your run-of-the-mill snap fastener, press stud, or jean button that requires alignment and force. Instead, it's a frictionless magnetic closure that takes things a step further with enhanced physical engagement.
Comprising a "base" and an "outer ring," the Duo Button's architecture is ingenious. The base, affixed to the Moncore down jacket, feels like a solid coin to the touch. The outer ring, a hollow metal circle, is integrated into the three modular outerwear pieces.
Here's where the magic happens: When the base and outer ring unite, a piston is magnetically extracted from the base, perfectly filling the outer ring's void with a satisfying click. The piston is initially held in place by a weaker magnet within the base until it's attracted by a stronger magnet in the outer ring.
This innovative design also streamlines the unbuttoning process. The button transforms into a pushable mechanism - simply depress the central piston to release.
The Duo Button eliminates the need for time-consuming alignment and forceful pressing of traditional buttons. When it's time to disassemble or remove layers, users can effortlessly detach with a one-handed push.
LoveFrom invested 18 months in developing new mechanical and manufacturing processes for this groundbreaking fastener. In a quest for the perfect auditory feedback, they even fine-tuned the alloy ratios of copper, aluminum, and steel.
Designed and Feeling the love
You surely remember that phrase - "Designed by Apple in California."
LoveFrom has its own version as well. On the duo button, the front side features the Moncler logo, while the back side displays LoveFrom's mascot, a bear named Montgomery. Surrounding it is the phrase: "Designed with our friends at LoveFrom in California."
This subtle nod to Ive's Apple legacy, combined with the personalized touch of LoveFrom's mascot, showcases how the design firm is carving out its own identity while paying homage to its roots. Including "with our friends" adds a warm, collaborative tone to the branding, distinguishing it from Apple's more succinct approach.
Outlook: Design Revolution in the AI Era
In the tech sphere, there's been anticipation about whether AI could deliver a game-changing hardware product akin to the iPhone.
While the AI Pin from Humane, founded by ex-Apple employees, failed to gain traction, another project involving Apple's legendary designer Jony Ive and OpenAI has garnered significant attention.
As early as September 2023, rumors circulated about OpenAI's intention to collaborate with Jony Ive on developing the "iPhone of the AI era." According to The New York Times, Ive was introduced to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman through Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. Although initial reports suggested the project had secured $1 billion from SoftBank, recent updates indicate that fundraising is ongoing, and SoftBank's role is no longer mentioned.
However, OpenAI's hardware ambitions are taking shape. Ive has invested $60 million in new office space and assembled a design team of about 10 people for this venture.
If Jony Ive and OpenAI successfully craft the "iPhone of the AI era," it could not only reshape the consumer tech market but potentially chart new directions for the entire AI industry. In this era of possibilities, the perfect fusion of design and technology might once again transform how we interact with the world.
