MacDirectory Magazine

Winter-Spring 2010 (#44)

MacDirectory magazine is the premiere creative lifestyle magazine for Apple enthusiasts featuring interviews, in-depth tech reviews, Apple news, insights, latest Apple patents, apps, market analysis, entertainment and more.

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From the iPhone to the MacBook, Apple products share a clean, space-age aesthetic that can overwhelm any sense of personal flair, which is why lifestyle brand Dermis Cases designs and sells its own lineup of stylish iPhone covers and laptop bags. The family-owned business was founded in 1965, but it didn't began designing protective cases until it noticed how few options iPhone users had to express their sense of style through their handset. "When we found out the iPhone would only be available in black or white, we were very disappointed," says Dermis spokesman Ray Zafar. "How will we change the color to reflect our own personal style?" he remembers wondering. "And what about protecting the iPhone?" Dermis answered its own questions by designing dozens of iPhone cases through a process that Zafar says is really quite simple. "We begin by thinking of what we as consumers would want," Zafar says. The ideas are tested with market research before an internal team begins the design process. That process is only completed on the cases that meet the team's high expectations. "Ultimately, you really won't see us manufacture something that we ourselves wouldn't want," he says. Punk rock pirates, henna-inspired artwork and even the French flag adorn just a small sample of the brand's silicone collection, which can be found in full at . Dermis also sells metallic bling covers for $19.95 – the same price as the silicone models – as well as plastic cases that come in several glossy colors. Beyond their obvious flair, Dermis covers are designed to protect against the nicks and scratches inflicted on iPhones during the course of a normal day. Because, as Zafar points out, "We all want to keep our phones in mint condition considering the amount of money we have invested in them and the importance they play in our lives." The iPhone may have brought Dermis into the electronics accessory business, but it quickly realized that mobile phone protection was just one way to express style in the digital age. "Once we entered the marketplace and began looking at the accessories for Macs," Zafar recalls, "one of our female employees commented on how all the laptop bags were so bland that she wouldn't carry her laptop in any of them. That spawned another idea in our minds that we should focus on a line of women's fashion and men's laptop bags." The Dermis lineup of laptop bags is certainly suitable for any computer-toting fashionista. Padded laptop compartments are housed in colorful faux leather in the Madison line and the Gemma Tote carries a removable quilted laptop sleeve and several pockets and compartments for an iPhone and iPod. In all, Dermis offers 11 different laptop bag styles with each priced at $59.95. Zafar says its collection of women's laptop bags are among Dermis's most popular products. "Clients who have purchased our laptop bags have told us that they constantly get compliments," he says. For those who need a bit more space, the modest lineup of Dermis backpacks should serve well. These durable nylon bags offer an unassuming yet spacious travel option for computers. The Eclipse model, for example, has a dedicated laptop compartment with a sidewise slide-in entry to make it even easier to lug around a MacBook Pro. Each of the backpacks is available for $49.99. Stylish cases and fashionable bags are all well and good, but Dermis has recently unveiled a new product that re- emphasizes the company's lifestyle focus – a universal solar charger aptly named the UniverSOL Charger. The device captures the sun's rays and stores them in a lithium ion battery that can power an iPhone, iPod or anything else with a USB cable input. The UniverSOL Charger makes perfect sense for beachside vacations, outdoor hikes or anytime a quick charge is needed, Jafar says. Priced at $49.99, the charger is just one more way that Dermis Cases tries to keep Mac users living easy and looking good. 122 MacDirectory COMPANY PROFILE DERMIS CASES > BRINGING CUSTOMIZABLE STYLE TO THE IPHONE WORDS BY MATT MARQUEZ

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