Former Apple designer Jony Ive was dissatisfied with the nonexistent selection of lanterns designed for luxury yachts, so he designed his own, Business Insider reported.
The resulting limited-edition yachting light is selling for $4,800.
"I would have just bought a lantern for my yacht — I wanted to," Ive lamented to Boat International. "But there isn't anything on the market. So, instead, I spent two years hard at work designing it."
LoveFrom, Ive's design collective, worked in partnership with Japanese manufacturer BALMUDA to create the Sailing Lantern. It is made from stainless steel and glass and includes LEDs with rechargeable batteries. Inspired by classic maritime design, the lantern can be freestanding, suspended, or carried and is designed to resist marine elements. The light can mimic a flame, and the digital control system allows adjustments to brightness and color.
Only 1,000 Sailing Lanterns were made available.
Ive prioritizes well-made, thoughtfully conceived objects, as evidenced in his experience with Apple as part of the team that designed the iPod, iPhone, and iPad.
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While design enthusiasts will likely appreciate the aesthetics, function, and attention to detail that went into creating the piece, the optics may be out of touch with environmental concerns.
When reflecting on the design process, Ive spoke nostalgically about his days spent sailing as a boy, and then he explained that he just couldn't find the right lantern for his personal yacht.
Yachts can have a significant impact on the environment. The large ships produce a great deal of pollution. Though impact depends on usage, a single yacht can create over 1,600 tons of pollution annually, which is about 100 times the average American's carbon footprint.
The uber-rich, including celebrities and top executives, have faced criticism for using highly polluting transportation methods such as private jets and mega yachts. These modes of transportation typically produce a great deal of harmful, planet-warming pollution relative to the low number of passengers they typically carry.
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Absolutely 💯 Of his design integrity, Ive told Time Magazine: "We're surrounded by anonymous, poorly made objects … Our success is a victory for purity, integrity — for giving a damn."
Ive shared that the Sailing Lantern was designed to last a lifetime, though it can be recycled when no longer needed or wanted.
Environmentalists may consider that a small consolation.
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