“The Apple Collection” actually refers to a fascinating, short-lived lifestyle fashion and merchandise line launched by Apple in 1986, rather than a hardware design book. Released shortly after Steve Jobs was ousted from the company, this catalog was Apple’s attempt to position itself as a complete lifestyle brand.
If you are looking for an official, comprehensive history book detailing Apple’s iconic tech hardware design, you are likely thinking of Apple’s self-published coffee table book, “Designed by Apple in California”. 👕 The Apple Collection (1986 Apparel Line)
Following Steve Jobs’s departure in 1985, Apple leadership attempted to build consumer loyalty by releasing a massive merchandise and clothing catalog for the ⁄1987 season.
The Style: It featured bright colors, heavy color-blocking, oversized fits, and prominent placements of Apple’s vintage, six-color rainbow logo.
The Products: The line included pastel windbreakers, baggy sweatshirts, “dad” hats, polo shirts, a $35 analog watch, and eccentric items like an Apple-branded windsurfing board.
The Origin: Ironically, the idea started when Steve Jobs visited Sony’s offices and admired their employee uniforms. He initially hired legendary designer Issey Miyake to design corporate vests for Apple. After Jobs left, the company expanded the corporate uniform concept into a full retail catalog.
The Legacy: It was a commercial failure at the time, but the surviving catalogs and rare pieces have become highly sought-after vintage collector’s items.
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