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
