British luxury tailoring brand Emel + Aris, which launched in 2015, is
looking to create the world’s first smart coat that incorporates an
intelligent heating system technology at a touch of a button.
The brand will launch with two styles for women and two styles for men,
the trench and a wrap for women and an overcoat and rain coat for men, with
both being developed in Europe using Loro Piana cashmere, wool and cotton,
which are all breathable, wind and rain resistant fabrics. Each style will
also be available in a variety of colours including black, charcoal and
navy.
The smart coats will also be made using a specially formulated
lightweight polymer, which sits in the lining of the coat that produces FIR
(far infrared) heat energy that penetrates the skin to heat the muscles and
increase blood flow so wearers feel warm all over, according to the brand.
The coat warms arms throughout the panels, with no hot spots. It
conducts heat uniformly and, as it does not use wires, cannot short circuit
or overheat, the brand explains. The only wiring in the smart coat is the
rechargeable battery pack powering the heat, which sits in a hidden
waterproof pocket inside the coat. The battery also has a USB port so you
can also charge your smartphone as well as heat your coat on the move.
The concept, which will mean no more feeling cold during winter, will
launch on Kickstarter on March 11, where pre-orders for the smart coats
will be taken. The Kickstarter price range is 450 pounds for the women’s
trench to 2,700 pounds for the wrap in cashmere, which is exclusive to the
Kickstarter site. For men, the coats range from 595 pounds for the raincoat
to 650 pounds for the overcoat.
After the Kickstarter campaign, the retail price will range from 1,095
pounds for a women’s trenchcoat to 1,395 pounds for a men’s overcoat. The
label is pledging that all investors will receive their coats as early as
this autumn, in time for the colder months.
The idea for the coat was sparked by founder Rana Nakhal Solute’s young
son. “Last year my six-year-old asked me if I was going take him on holiday
to the North Pole,” Solute explains in the Kickstarter promotional video.
“He said ‘If we do, Mommy, can you please make sure you buy us jackets that
heat? That’s when I had that lightbulb moment. How is it that in today’s
world, with all the technology developments we have, we are not all walking
around with jackets that heat. That’s how the idea of the smart coat was
born.”
Emel + Aris launches on Kickstarter on March 11.
Images: Emel + Aris