100 years later, the Japanese reinvent the zipper

The zipper receives its first major update in 100 years: by eliminating the fabric tape that held the interlocking rows of teeth together for a century, Japanese giant YKK is designing the future of clothing without visible seams.

For more than a hundred years, the zipper has remained practically unchanged: two rows of interlocking teeth, a slider that slides over them and a fabric ribbon that holds it.

The zipper is one of those inventions that conquered the world by discretion: it is used in billions of parts every day, but almost no one stops to think about how it works.

Now, after a century of standstill, , the Japanese company that manufactures about half of the world’s fasteners, has decided rethink the mechanism that holds together much of modern clothing. The new clasp looks ordinary at first glance. But you quickly realize what’s missing: there is no fabric tape.

This absence changes everything. Without the braided fabric that normally surrounds the teeth, the AiryString is lighter, elegant and much more flexible. It’s a small but significant reinvention that looks like something from the futurea fastening system that integrates into the garment instead of protruding from the surface, says .

“We wanted to solve the challenges associated with sewing zippers,” he explains. Makoto NishizakiVice President of YKK Application Development Division.

The idea was born from a collaboration that began in 2017 with , the world leader in industrial sewing machines. Together, the two companies rethought not only how a fastener is manufactured, but also how can this merge more harmoniously with the fabric.

If the name YKK doesn’t sound familiar to you, look at the zippers on your jacket or pants: you probably already use one of them. Founded in Japan in 1934, YKK supplies fasteners to brands such as Prada, Arc’teryx, Patagonia ou The North Faceand in 2023 it recorded revenues exceeding 6 billion dollars.

Your domain results from a unusual control over the entire process: YKK manufactures its own machines, designs its patterns and even produces its own yarn.

The zipper, as we know it, has not undergone a real revolution since the 1910s. Its longevity is due to its reliability: it is resistant, cheap and easy to sew. For much of the 20th century, that was enough.

But the materials have evolved. Today, designers work with ultralight nylons, stretch fabrics and technical blends that behave more like skin than cloth. The traditional zip, with its woven edges and rigid seams, began to appear out of place.

“There is a growing demand in the market for lighter and more flexible clothing,” says Nishizaki. “And the same expectations extend to fasteners.”

Remove the raised tape a series of engineering challenges. The fabric strips give structure to the clasp and provide the surface on which tailors sew. Without them, YKK had to rethink the entire production process.

The teeth have been redesignedthe manufacturing process rewritten and new machines created to attach the fastener to the parts. “The absence of the tape caused several production difficulties”, explains Nishizaki. “It was necessary to develop new equipment and a specific sewing machine for integration.”

The result is a lighter, more flexible system that reduces material use and environmental impact compared to a conventional closure. The end effect is tactile above all. The pieces move more naturally, sit better on the body and appear less mechanical.

“We repeatedly conduct durability and strength tests by sewing the AiryString and conventional fasteners into various fabrics,” explains Nishizaki. “In terms of usage, AiryString offers a much smoother operation.”

Translated into the user experience: a more fluid and pleasant glide — that touch that distinguishes a quality jacket from a cheap one.

When they ask you What will closures be like in 50 years?Nishizaki does not talk about smart fabrics or mechanisms with artificial intelligence. Return to YKK’s motto: “Small parts. Big differences”.

The AiryString embodies this principle: not a flashy reinvention, but a precise tuning. A century-old mechanism made lighter, cleaner and almost invisible. In a world obsessed with ever faster and louder innovations, the YKK revolution triumphs by subtracting, not by adding.