designboom · Creativity & design

Vollebak Creates Flexible Jacket from Slate Tiles

Clothing brand Vollebak has developed a prototype jacket, the Rock Jacket, made from thousands of small slate tiles bonded to a flexible backing, aiming to make stone behave like fabric.

The jacket's surface is constructed from 5mm x 5mm slate tiles on a neoprene backing, creating a textured, gridded material that can twist and bend while retaining the natural appearance of stone. This technique was adapted from designer Steven Leprizé's 'WooWood' marquetry method, replacing wood with thin slate squares.

The production process involves approximately 50 steps, with precise cutting of 0.5mm thick slate sheets into small squares being crucial for the material's flexibility and visual integrity. The jacket itself is a cropped Harrington style, featuring laser-cut slate panels, taped seams, and contrasting Cordura pockets and a zipper.

Currently a one-of-one piece, the Rock Jacket is presented as an initial exploration into using geological materials for outerwear. Vollebak suggests this could lead to further investigations into rock as a potential construction material for clothing, similar to its use in architecture.

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