When looking to keep cool in sunny, balmy Singapore, puffer jackets would almost always be the last thing we’d reach for.
We say almost always, since this unusual and somewhat contradictory summer puffer jacket is said to actually bring down the temperature of its wearer by way of a futuristic cooling system powered by ice-cold beer.
The beer chills water that is pumped around the jacket via hidden plastic tubings that come in close contact with “key points where the arteries are closest to the skin, cooling the body down by up to 5°C in the sun”.
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Masashi Kawamura, chief technology officer of Japanese firm Whatever Co that designed the technology, said, “Inspired by the same tech that keeps astronauts cool in extreme temperatures, we tried a variety of cooling system designs, each making the jacket more effective at keeping the wearer cool for as long as possible.”
“We tested various tube placements, tube materials, water tank designs and electronic wiring before landing on the final mechanism. We even had a trial run where the jacket became too cold to wear, and we had to tune it down to get it to the right temperature,” he continued.
As for the ice-cold beer, that comes courtesy of homegrown brand Tiger Beer, who created the Tiger Summer Puffer in collaboration with London-based fashion designer Izzy Du and the Japanese tech firm.
Said the Chinese Canadian designer, “Making a puffer for the summer is an external expression of how refreshing and cool it feels to drink a Tiger. I started with the feeling of opening an ice-cold can of beer, and playing with the colours of Tiger Beer, before imbuing the aesthetics of the puffer with a new function.”
The bright orange jacket will make its runway debut at the upcoming Paris Fashion Week (October 1 to 3), before making its way to the tropical island of Singapore in December, where it will be previewed at beachside music festival ZoukOut.
A limited run of the Tiger Puffer Jacket will be made available for the summer and spring season of 2024.
