Former Apple design chief Jony Ive has unveiled his latest creation through his design firm LoveFrom: a premium sailing lantern developed in collaboration with Japanese company Balmuda. The limited edition lantern, priced at $4,800, represents Ive's first major product release since leaving Apple and establishing his independent design studio.
Since departing Apple, Ive has maintained a relatively low profile while reportedly working on significant projects behind the scenes. His venture, io, has been collaborating closely with OpenAI on a new family of products speculated to be screen-free, pocket-sized devices. Prior to the sailing lantern announcement, Ive's LoveFrom had released a refined Limited Edition Sondek LP12 turntable remake featuring enhanced design and audio tuning.
The sailing lantern project originated from Ive's personal frustration with existing lighting options available for his yacht. The collaboration began when Ive brought initial sketches to Gen Terao, CEO of Balmuda, a Japanese manufacturing company that specializes in creating everyday tools and appliances. The concept quickly resonated with Terao, leading to extensive discussions about prototypes and design possibilities.
The design draws inspiration from traditional Fresnel lamps historically used by sailors for navigation purposes. Ive, an avid sailing enthusiast, incorporated elements reminiscent of GP14 boats from his childhood experiences on the water. This blend of nautical heritage and modern design philosophy resulted in the LoveFrom x Balmuda Sailing Lantern.
"It has been a considerable honor and enormously enjoyable creating our lantern with Gen and his wonderful team at Balmuda," Ive stated. "As a young boy, I adored sailing and spending my time on the water. Our lantern was created and built for maritime conditions. While the materials, form, and product architecture are new, there is a reassuring familiarity to the nautical lanterns and Fresnel lamps of the past whose designs evolved to address the same unforgiving functional requirements."
Gen Terao complemented Ive's sentiment by explaining the collaborative process: "This collaboration is built on mutual respect and a shared obsession with the small, unseen details that shape our experience of an object. The Sailing Lantern is a light for life – durable, soulful, and quietly transformative." Terao passionately described how Ive introduced him to the concept of giving an ancient flame a modern form, creating a lantern that embodies the essence of enduring adventures and romantic evenings.
One of the primary technical challenges in developing the lantern was creating luminous quality that possessed both warmth and emotional resonance characteristic of traditional lanterns. The key factors involved emulating light from conventional flame and filament sources. This was achieved through an innovative system combining two LEDs, a rechargeable battery, and a digital control system that maintains the authentic feel of traditional lighting.
The premium lantern features intuitive operation through a single dial control that adjusts both brightness and color temperature. This design choice reflects Ive's characteristic emphasis on simplicity and user experience, allowing users to easily customize the lighting to their preferences and environmental needs.
Environmental sustainability played a crucial role in the design process. The focus centered on minimizing the product's carbon footprint by designing it to be easily maintained, repaired, and ultimately recyclable. This approach aligns with growing consumer awareness about environmental responsibility and product longevity.
The material selection process prioritized both structural integrity and longevity. The lantern features precision-ground, polished glass components, precision-machined stainless steel with mirror polish finish, and texture-blasted electroplated surfaces. These premium materials contribute to the exclusive nature and durability of the Sailing Lantern, ensuring it can withstand harsh maritime conditions while maintaining its aesthetic appeal.
The lantern offers versatile usage options, functioning effectively in both freestanding and suspended modes with an included lanyard. This flexibility makes it suitable for various sailing scenarios and maritime activities, from deck lighting to cabin illumination.
Reflecting its premium positioning and craftsmanship, the LoveFrom x Balmuda Sailing Lantern will be produced in a strictly limited run of only 1,000 units worldwide. This exclusivity, combined with the $4,800 price point, positions the product as a luxury item targeting discerning sailing enthusiasts and design collectors who appreciate the intersection of functional excellence and aesthetic sophistication.
