September 24, 2007

Zegna to Introduce “Solar-Powered Jacket”

by Orli Sharaby in Fashion, Ethical Consumerism

The New Yorker ran a great article in its Sept. 24^th Style Issue about Ermenegildo Zegna’s new Solar-Powered Jacket, which is set to hit stores in November. Writer Henry Alford takes the jacket out for a three-week-long test-drive, figuring out how best to charge his cell phone and iPod, attracting lots of attention and, ultimately, obsessing over the jacket’s potential to take him off the grid entirely:

“I wondered what other appliances my jacket might be able to power. A visit to the Web site usbgeek.com brought into my life a small flurry of gadgets equipped with USB ports…Though the tiny vacuum cleaner for my computer keyboard (twelve dollars) has provided distraction and solace during my workdays, it is the eight-inch-tall refrigerator (thirty dollars) – it chills one can of soda – that most impresses me: I’m using the sun to chill the liquid that slakes the thirst that’s created by the sun.”

Engadget reported on the Solar Jacket way back in July:

“The Solar JKT is based around Interactive Wear AG’s iSolarX technology, and sports a number of solar modules around the neoprene collar that can pass energy through conducting textile leads for storage in a buffer battery or to charge a connected device directly.”

5 Responses to “Zegna to Introduce “Solar-Powered Jacket””

Inhabitat » SUSTAINABLE STYLE: Zegna’s Solar Powered Jacket
Posted from: 72.52.195.186
September 30th, 2007 at 2:47 pm

[…] are a little late to bring you Ermenegildo Zegna’s Solar-Powered Jacket, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t report anyway, as this is the best-looking way to […]
Event Listings
Posted from: 68.212.179.11
October 1st, 2007 at 4:55 am

Interesting. How practical is it, though? The collar doesn’t look particularly comfortable. What is the photovoltaic replacement cost if they get damaged?
LTX
Posted from: 24.82.40.171
October 1st, 2007 at 3:48 pm

Why don’t you use the sun to chill yourself instead? :)
Links for 2007-10-01 « Francis Anderson
Posted from: 72.233.2.66
October 2nd, 2007 at 9:08 am

[…] Zegna to Introduce “Solar-Powered Jacket” :: PSFK I mean, who doesn’t need one of these? (tags: eco green design fashion npd) […]
Readers Edition » Tausend Stimmen zur Umwelt - Bürgerjournalismus weltweit
Posted from: 88.198.226.50
October 16th, 2007 at 9:12 pm

[…] (nutzen Sie z.B. natürliches Licht!), nutzen Sie Akku-Betriebene Elektrogeräte und eine solarbetriebene Jacke, mit der Handy und I-Pod aufgeladen werden. Wenn man Dinge dann wegwerfen möchte – dann […]