The World’s Most Fashionable Lifejacket

Once the preserve of athletes and outdoor enthusiasts, sportswear and expedition gear have become mainstream fashion statements. But one of the few remaining holdouts is the traditional lifejacket. Bulky, ill-fitting and downright ugly, no self-respecting boating aficionado would be caught dead wearing it unless weather conditions are exceptionally poor. 

In 1999, industrial designer Peter Ejvinsson took up the challenge to design a lifejacket that people would feel comfortable wearing both at sea and on land. Inspired by goosedown vests, he cut the buoyancy material to size, added certain safety features and selected colour combinations to create a flotation vest that was both safe and stylish.

The flotation vest was part of Peter’s examination work for the University College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm. The development and design process, from user interviews to product function analyses, took just nine weeks. The outcome was a production prototype that attracted considerable attention from the industry. In the end, two Swedish companies took the bait, and, after further testing and refining, Sail Racing launched the first collection of Floater Vests in 2001.

 
The original Floater Vest has been chosen on several occasions to represent contemporary Scandinavian design abroad, for example at the Sydney Olympics. Three generations later, the Floater Vest is still considered to be a flagship piece in the Sail Racing collection. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and by now most competitors sell flotation vests that look suspiciously similar.