In the tropical heat, trending puffers are a no-no.
Tiger Beer, however, has collaborated with fashion designer Izzy Du and Japanese tech firm Whatever Co for the world's first puffer jacket with a beer-powered cooling system. So, regardless of the climate, anyone can strut the winter staple.
The innovative system uses cold beer to chill water, which is then pumped around the wearer's body via a network of tubes. These tubes make contact with key points where the arteries are closest to the skin, cooling the body down by up to 5C.
"Inspired by the same tech that keeps astronauts cool in extreme temperatures, we tried a variety of systems, each making the jacket more effective at keeping the wearer cool for as long as possible," explained Masashi Kawamura, chief technology officer of Whatever Co.
"We tested various tube placements, tube materials, water T 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."
Fuelled by ice-cold Tiger Beer, the cooling system has been incorporated into the voluminous Tiger Summer Puffer designed by Du.
The vibrant orange colour pays tribute to the tiger while the hood is inspired by the feline's ears. Additionally, fang details and a subtle striped pattern render a fierce look.
"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," said the Chinese-Canadian designer based in London.
The puffer jacket debuted at the Izzy Du pop-up from Oct 1-3 during Paris Fashion Week 2023.
Tiger Beer will take the wearable fashion tech to the ZoukOut dance music festival, which will be held in the tropical heat of Singapore in December.
Thereafter, a limited run of the Tiger Summer Puffer will be made available in the spring and summer of 2024.
