Highsnobiety x XL EXTRALIGHT® Collab Is In The Bag
Bouncy, strong, light and bright—say hello to the brand XL EXTRALIGHT®. For more than thirty years, XL EXTRALIGHT® has built a reputation for innovation and quality in material technology. The Italian brand initially focused on creating lightweight foam solutions, the company quickly became a leader in the development of high-performance materials used across various industries.
For those who might not be familiar with the term, XL EXTRALIGHT® is an ingredient brand—a term used in the fashion industry to describe companies that supply specific components or technologies that enhance the performance, comfort, or durability of a product. Think of it like this: when it comes to creating high-quality trainers or any other product, brands often rely on specialized suppliers to provide essential parts, such as cushioning systems, outsole materials, or advanced fabrics. XL EXTRALIGHT® is one such brand that plays a pivotal role in the manufacturing process by offering unique materials that significantly improve the final product.
What sets XL EXTRALIGHT® apart is its focus on developing lightweight, flexible, and durable foam materials. These materials are not only crucial for the footwear industry, where comfort and performance are paramount, but they also find applications in a wide range of products, from fashion accessories to medical devices. The foam produced by XL EXTRALIGHT® is renowned for its exceptional performance, with features such as its closed-cell structure, which enhances strength, resistance, and longevity. Given the brand’s reputation for excellence in design, durability, and a delicious set of fun colors, it’s become a go-to choice for many top brands.
Enter Carlo Vecchiola—lead product designer for XL EXTRALIGHT® design items. With a decade of experience at XL EXTRALIGHT®, he has been instrumental in shaping the brand’s identity and expanding its reach across various industries besides footwear. Inspired by design legends like Achille Castiglioni and Dieter Rams, Carlo emphasizes the importance of functionality, durability, and innovation in his work. Under his guidance, XL EXTRALIGHT® has become synonymous with high-performance materials and sustainable design.
We caught up with him as we launch our Not In New York collaboration, and got a deeper look into just what it takes to fuel innovation at the brand.
What inspires you as a designer, and how do you incorporate that inspiration into your work at XL EXTRALIGHT®?
I take inspiration from icon masters of design like Achille Castiglioni and Dieter Rams, for whom the most important thing was function above all else. Products are extensions of humans—they’re at our disposal. As well as being innovative, products need to be useful and intuitive, and long lasting.
What are the main components of XL EXTRALIGHT®?
XL EXTRALIGHT® is a special blend of polyolefin compounds that our ‘artists’ in the chemical lab develop on a daily basis to achieve better performance on every product. So it can vary a lot between one application to the other.
How long have you been working at XL EXTRALIGHT®? What inspired you to start?
This is actually the tenth year as part of this team. Back as a young, recently graduated designer, I was inspired by the versatility of the material and technology at the company, and its many challenges during the industrial design stages.
In a market filled with lightweight materials, what qualities make XL EXTRALIGHT® stand out? What design philosophy guides this?
XL EXTRALIGHT® stands out due to its closed-cell structure in every formulation. This structure provides the material with high strength and resistance to various factors, allowing it to be used in a wide range of products, including footwear, fashion accessories, pool and bicycle accessories, and medical devices.
How do you see Highsnobiety and XL EXTRALIGHT® overlapping and complementing each other?
What we certainly have in common is the continuous research and the constant desire to experiment both in terms of technologies and trends that we always try to anticipate
What makes our current collaboration different from our previous one?
I believe the product we developed together for Not In New York showcases another feature of XL EXTRALIGHT®. The Not in Paris fan was more of a poetic nod to our beloved lightness. In contrast, the grocery bag, which evokes the vibrant and fast-paced life of New York City, demonstrates the strength of our material, capable of carrying items around the city.
What sets you apart from other material and tech companies?
One of our key features as a company is our vertical integration. We have the capability to produce raw materials in-house through our compound division, create aluminum tools with the expertise of our engineering division, and carry out mass production in our own plants. Over the years, we have replicated this business model across all our plants worldwide. This integration allows us to supply our customers very quickly while ensuring privacy throughout the process, which is particularly valued in the fashion industry.
Which brands have worked with your material and technology?
We are proud to partner with renowned brands such as Prada, Louis Vuitton, and Armani, as well as footwear companies like Camper and Clarks. Additionally, we serve other markets through clients like Jacuzzi, Gufram, Fiat, Peg-Perego, and many others.
If you could see XL EXTRALIGHT® used in any crazy design or project, no matter how far-fetched, what would it be?
It’d be too cool to see a pair of rocket powered boots made with our lightweight foam, that makes you fly above the clouds where lightness and softness surrounds you 360°.
What aspects of the brand's Italian heritage are reflected in your work and designs?
For sure the quality of our industrial process blended with the artisan finishing, and attention to every little detail, leads us to creating products distinctively made in Italy.
How do you see ultralight materials evolving in the next decade? What do you see for the future of XL EXTRALIGHT®?
3D-printing and AI are new tools that we are eager to explore further to see what we can create by combining these technologies with human creativity. We are also continually refining the technical performance of our compounds. One of our product-level goals is to develop a shoe or product specifically designed for extreme sports. Additionally, we remain committed to the environment and sustainability.
What are your top three essentials that everyone should keep in the XL EXTRALIGHT® x Highsnobiety bag?
An iPod, a polaroid camera, and mosquito repellent.
