50 Years of Apple. 15 Years of Pack & Smooch. A Story of Design, Technology and Things Made to Last.

In 1976, a story began that would change the way we interact with technology. Since 2011, we've been writing a small chapter of that story ourselves – with leather, wool felt and plenty of craftsmanship.

Apple was founded on April 1, 1976. Back then, nobody could have predicted that a young computer company would become one of the world's most influential design brands.

Fifty years later, the iPhone, iPad and MacBook have become natural parts of everyday life. They are our tools, workplaces, cameras, communication devices and sometimes even little expressions of our personalities.

At Pack & Smooch, we've always approached this from a slightly different angle:

If so much thought goes into designing a device, why should its case be an afterthought?

That question has shaped the sleeves, cases and accessories we've been creating since 2011, using vegetable-tanned natural leather and Merino wool felt.

So 2026 gives us two reasons to celebrate: 50 years of Apple and 15 years of Pack & Smooch.

Two very different stories, connected by a shared appreciation for thoughtful design.

From the Computer Revolution to Your Pocket

Apple started with computers. The Apple II helped bring personal computing to a wider audience. In 1984, the Macintosh introduced a new vision of how intuitive a computer could be.

Later, the iPod and iTunes changed the way we listened to music. The iPhone arrived in 2007, followed by the iPad in 2010.

Through all these changes, one idea remained remarkably consistent: technology should not only work well. It should feel natural to use.

That's what good product design is about. Ideally, you barely notice it.

Until something doesn't work quite right.

A button in the wrong place. An opening that's difficult to reach. Or a sleeve that fits so poorly that removing your device becomes an everyday struggle.

Often, it's the smallest details that reveal the quality of a design.

Our Apple Accessories Even Made It Into a Museum

Some moments stay with you.

For us, one of those moments was "Stylectrical" at the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (MK&G), an exhibition dedicated to Apple's product design and the relationship between technology, form and function.

We had the opportunity to present some of our own bags and sleeves as part of the exhibition.

That meant a great deal to us.

Normally, our products are found on workbenches, beside sewing machines or waiting to be packaged. Suddenly, they were displayed in a museum where design itself was the subject.

Not because a sleeve is more important than the device inside it.

But because the accessories we choose are part of how we experience and use technology.

It was a special reminder that even a small company from Hamburg, built around a simple idea, can become part of a much bigger design story.

2011: When We Started, the iPad Was Still Something New

When Pack & Smooch began in 2011, Apple had only recently introduced an entirely new product category.

The iPad was more than a large screen. It also presented accessory makers with a new challenge.

How do you carry a slim, delicate device without hiding it inside a bulky bag?

We chose materials that, even today, feel like a counterpoint to the fast-moving world of technology: genuine Merino wool felt and vegetable-tanned leather.

Not because they happened to be fashionable.

But because their qualities remain useful year after year.

Wool felt is soft, dense and lightweight. Leather is flexible, resilient and develops its own patina with use.

And both materials can be crafted into a sleeve designed to fit a specific device.

Not just approximately.

But as precisely as possible.

What began with our first iPad and MacBook sleeves gradually grew into a wider collection.

Today, our products accompany all kinds of Apple devices, from the iPhone to the MacBook Pro.

For iPhone: Four Different Ways to Protect Your Device

Few Apple devices accompany us as closely as the iPhone.

It rests on our desks, slips into jacket pockets, joins us at restaurants and travels almost everywhere with us.

Naturally, people expect different things from an iPhone case.

CHESTER – the leather hard case. For those who want their iPhone protected while using it. CHESTER combines a precisely shaped protective shell with genuine leather and supports MagSafe.

KINGSTON – the classic leather sleeve. The iPhone slides completely into a leather pouch. KINGSTON is available in different widths, including an option for an iPhone with a slim additional case.

KIRKBY – leather and wool felt together. A fitted sleeve combining two natural materials, with a front pocket for small essentials.

SHETLAND – deliberately minimal. A slim Merino wool felt iPhone sleeve for those who appreciate simplicity.

Four designs, four different answers to the same question.

How do you want to use and carry your iPhone?

We check the dimensions for every new generation: what changes on the iPhone 18 Pro and which case fits, and why the foldable iPhone Duo needs a case rethought from scratch.

For iPad: A Sleeve That Thinks Ahead

The iPad is a particularly interesting product category for us.

After all, it's no longer just a tablet. With a keyboard, Smart Folio and Apple Pencil, it can become a portable workspace.

A well-designed iPad sleeve shouldn't therefore be made only for the bare device.

It needs to consider what people actually carry with it.

Our HAMPSHIRE combines Merino wool felt and natural leather with a practical closure and additional storage.

The SUFFOLK offers a more minimal alternative for those who prefer a slim wool felt sleeve.

With ANGUS, vegetable-tanned natural leather takes centre stage. Wool felt protects the device inside, while a zipper closes the sleeve around its edges.

One question comes up again and again: do you have anything without leather? ANGUS Vegan is our answer – the same construction as the leather folio, made from Oleatex, a material derived from olive pressings, lined with plant-based felt made from lactic acid and cellulose.

And for the compact iPad mini, there's LLEYN, with its own dedicated shape, an Apple Pencil holder and room for a compatible Smart Folio.

We don't just look at display sizes. We consider the actual dimensions, accessories and how each device is used.

Because not every 11-inch device has the same dimensions.

For MacBook: When a Few Millimetres Make a Difference

A MacBook is a working tool that often stays with us for many years.

That's why a well-fitting sleeve is about more than an attractive exterior.

The position of a seam, the thickness of the materials and the space available for the device all influence how comfortable a sleeve feels in everyday use.

Our three classic MacBook sleeves take different approaches.

SUFFOLK keeps things minimal: wool felt, a precise fit and as little extra bulk as possible.

HAMPSHIRE adds a front pocket for slim accessories to its combination of wool felt and leather. And it's certainly not something you need to hide when you place it on the conference table.

ANGUS is our full-leather folio with a wool felt lining, a wraparound zipper and a slightly roomier leather front pocket.

Whenever Apple introduces a new MacBook generation, we look closely at the measurements. A few millimetres less width or depth might not sound significant, but they can matter when it comes to fit.

We checked on the device which sleeve fits the MacBook Neo, and did the same for the new dimensions of the 2026 MacBook Pro.

AirPods, AirTag and the Little Things We Carry Every Day

Not every Apple device needs a large sleeve.

For AirPods, we created OTLEY, with individual fits for the different charging cases. Leather gives each small case a pleasant feel and its own distinctive character.

And for anyone who wants to attach an AirTag to their keys or luggage, we make matching leather holders. And for anyone who would rather carry the AirTag than dangle it, the DEVON key organiser has a dedicated compartment for it.

Our collection also includes key organisers, cable pouches and desk accessories.

They aren't Apple devices themselves. But they solve the little problems that come with using them: keys rattling in a bag, tangled cables and accessories with nowhere to go.

Our CORRIEDALE XS and LONGFORD help organise cables, adapters and chargers. The larger CORRIEDALE models offer room for carrying a MacBook, iPad and accessories together.

Sometimes, a well-designed bag makes more sense than an increasingly oversized device sleeve.

How open-pored leather is cared for over the years, and what actually helps with stains, is covered in our guide from the workshop.

What Hasn't Changed in 15 Years

Apple devices have become faster, thinner and more powerful.

Displays have evolved. Connectors have come and gone. New sizes have replaced old ones.

Our materials have remained.

We use mulesing-free Merino wool felt and vegetable-tanned natural leather from Italy. We work with proven designs and adapt the fit wherever new device dimensions make it necessary.

Trusted production partners also support us when additional manufacturing capacity is needed.

We don't believe that every new device requires an entirely new idea for a sleeve.

Sometimes, the better solution is to refine a proven design precisely where it matters.

And sometimes, that's where the real craftsmanship lies.

50 Years of Apple. 15 Years of Pack & Smooch. What Comes Next?

We don't know what the iPhone will look like ten years from now.

Perhaps MacBooks will become even thinner. Perhaps the iPad will change more dramatically than we can imagine today.

What we do know is that the next generation of devices will still be carried, placed on desks, taken on journeys and eventually replaced by something new.

And there will still be people who don't want to put carefully designed technology into just any accessory.

Those are the people we make our products for.

Not just for a moment. But for everyday life, year after year.

Happy 50th birthday, Apple.

And to everyone who has supported us since 2011: thank you for 15 years of trust in our work.

Made for many years. Not just for a moment.

Pack & Smooch is an independent manufacturer of cases, sleeves and accessories and is not affiliated with Apple Inc. Apple, iPhone, iPad, MacBook and AirPods are trademarks of Apple Inc.