Danny P. turns the iPhone case into “something extraordinary”
One recent trend we’ve noticed at the Fashion & Style Directory is cases for smartphones and tablets taking their place alongside wallets, purses and bags as a genuine fashion accessory.
The only problem is that the cases you can buy are often, well, not all that fashionable – especially when the product you’re putting in the case is typically one of the world’s sleekest devices, and worth several hundred pounds.
That was the challenge that got Daniel Piterak thinking about how he could design a case that would both protect his iPhone and enhance its appearance. “I liked admiring the phone’s unique design and didn’t want to cover it up in some cheap plastic case,” he recalls.
Thinking further about the problem, Daniel came to the conclusion that there were two things he never left the house without – his iPhone and his wallet. So, that prompted a further idea – why not design a combined wallet and case to hold his phone, cash and cards all in one place?
Daniel could see that there were already some products like that out there, but that they either made the phone difficult to remove, or were too small to comfortably accommodate his cards and cash as well. So, Daniel set about coming up with his own, original solution – and the Danny P. story was born.
After a paper prototype, some help from a designer friend, and finally finding a manufacturer with the skills and materials to create a product of the quality that Daniel craved, his vision – for a Danny P. leather wallet with built-in iPhone 5 case – became a reality.
With the help of a Czech firm that’s been working with leather for over a century, Daniel was able to create a handmade, Italian leather product that he saw as combining “skills, experience and tradition”.
Since then, the Danny P. range has grown to encompass sleeves for the MacBook Air, iPad and iPhone 5, as well as a simple slim leather wallet, each featuring the distinctive ‘DP’ monogram. The signature leather wallet with iPhone 5 case is still available too, as is an updated version that combines a leather wallet with a case for the new iPhone 6.
However, all the products in the collection share the attention to detail that has become one of Danny P.’s trademarks, and are available in three different styles: matte black with grey stitching, dark tobacco brown with blue stitching, or – our personal favourite – cognac brown with blue stitching. Even better, there’s free delivery to the UK on all Danny P. products.
“We are always working to improve our products and offer customers a functional piece for their newest Apple device,” explains Daniel. “But it’s not just about innovation and functionality. It’s also about designing a fashionable accessory, something extraordinary.”
With the Danny P. collection, we certainly reckon that Daniel’s succeeded in creating something that’s both practical and beautiful – which is extraordinary enough for us.
You can follow Danny P. on Twitter at @DannyPstyle, check out the brand on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, and of course visit the Danny P. store at dannypstyle.com. Until 15 December 2014, one lucky visitor to the Danny P. website can win a Danny P. original of their choice, and get it in time for Christmas – for details of how to enter, go to the competition page.