Nendo designs five alternatives to the standard zipper
Tasked with reinventing the zipper, Nendo has come up with five different fastenings, each designed to suit a different function.
The Zippppper project saw Nendo team up with fastening manufacturer YKK to examine the interlocking teeth of a traditional zip, to see if they could be reimagined.
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"In lieu of focusing on superficial finishings or decorations, it was important to take a step back and delve into the fundamental question, 'what exactly is a zipper?'" said the studio, which is led by Oki Sato.
"The basic concept of a zipper is to open and close the opening between two pieces of material without any gaps, but by thoroughly assessing each component individually and through further reassessment – five new zippers were created."
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The first of these five iterations is designed to cross over at a right-angled intersection, enabling the zipper to be opened both lengthways and widthways.
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With the second design, Nendo wanted to retain the functionality of a zip, but give users more flexibility. The studio devised a system that sees gaps created along the length of the zip, so that users can feed cables and cords through.
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The third design enables users to easily operate zippers with one hand, without the need to pull the material taut.
This is achieved through a disc-like fastener, which incorporates a mechanism that – as it is pulled – rotates up along the side of the zip to clamp it together.
![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/10/nendo-redesigns-zips-ykk-zipppppr-_dezeen_2364_col_5-852x569.jpg)
A fourth zipper allows three elements to be fastened together to create three-dimensional structures, while the final design negates the need for a start and end point.
The project's name, Zippppper, is spelt with five Ps to represent the five different approaches.
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The past year has seen Nendo present a huge exhibition during Milan design week, and also complete its first landscape architecture project.
But as well as these large-scale projects, the studio has continued its relentless output of product design – most recently releasing a torch made from a single piece of paper, and a soy seasoning dispenser to rival the iconic red-topped Kikkoman bottle.