April 13, 2025
From Turtlenecks to iPhones: How Steve Jobs Redefined Fashion
Steve Jobs’ black turtleneck is the stuff of legend, but few know it was a custom creation by Japanese design icon Issey Miyake—a partnership that foreshadowed the fusion of high tech and high fashion. More than a uniform, it was a symbol of two visionaries obsessed with making complex ideas beautifully simple.
Issey Miyake wasn’t your typical designer. Known for his groundbreaking work with fabrics—think sculptural pleats and garments that move like art—he blended technology with aesthetics in a way that felt futuristic yet human. In the 1980s, Miyake was part of Japan’s vibrant design scene, rubbing shoulders with innovators like Shiro Kuramata, whose acrylic furniture and poetic interiors pushed the boundaries of form and function. This was a bubble of creativity where fashion, architecture, and art collided, and Miyake stood at its heart, redefining what clothing could be.
Enter Steve Jobs. In the early 80s, during a trip to Japan, he discovered Miyake’s work and was hooked. Jobs saw in Miyake what he wanted for himself: a way to strip away the unnecessary and let design speak. Their friendship led to those famous turtlenecks—hundreds of them, crafted by Miyake to Jobs’ specs. It wasn’t just about looking cool; it was a meeting of minds. Both believed beauty should serve a purpose, whether in a garment or a gadget.
Jobs carried this ethos to Apple. The clean lines of a Mac, the intuitive swipe of an iPhone—these echoed Miyake’s knack for making the complex feel effortless. Jobs didn’t just build tech; he built objects of desire, much like a fashion house crafting a must-have bag. And when the iPhone debuted in 2007, it didn’t take long to transcend its role as a phone. It became a status symbol, a gleaming accessory flaunted by celebrities and influencers, as essential to fashion weeks as a front-row seat.
Even after Jobs’ passing in 2011, his vision proved prophetic. Today, fashion and tech are inseparable. Designers craft iPhone cases for Gucci and Louis Vuitton, while Hermès designs sleek Apple Watch bands, blending craftsmanship with circuitry. Social media—powered by those same iPhones—runs the fashion world, turning runway shows into global events before the last model walks off.
This fusion of tech and style keeps evolving, with brands like Coperni leading the charge. Their Swipe Bag, inspired by the iPhone’s iOS settings toggle, turns a digital gesture into a fashion statement—a handbag that feels like an extension of the devices Jobs designed. By staging shows in tech-inspired spaces, like a LAN party setup for their Fall/Winter 2025 collection, Coperni proves that fashion can thrive where code and creativity meet.
Steve Jobs didn’t just change technology; he redefined how we see design itself. Through his bond with Issey Miyake, he showed that high tech and high fashion share a common soul—beauty that serves a purpose. From turtlenecks to iPhones to today’s boundary-pushing brands, Jobs’ vision continues to inspire a world where innovation and style are one.