Vollebak has never approached clothing in a conventional way, but its latest project pushes the idea of wearable technology into entirely new territory.
Introducing the Sonic Jacket, a prototype outerwear piece fitted with 180 inward-facing speakers engineered to send frequency directly through the body. Designed in collaboration with FBFX, the special effects studio behind films including Dune, Prometheus and The Martian, the concept sits somewhere between fashion experiment, sound system and future wellness device.
Rather than functioning like traditional audio wearables, the jacket is designed around sensation. Frequencies ranging from 4Hz to 20kHz are transmitted inward through laser-cut speaker modules, transforming the body itself into a resonant chamber. The idea is less about listening and more about altering physical and cognitive states through sound.
The project reflects Vollebak’s wider position within fashion, one that increasingly operates closer to speculative design and advanced engineering than traditional apparel. Founded by twin brothers Nick and Steve Tidball, the British brand has built a reputation around experimental garments tied to space exploration, material innovation and future survival systems.
Visually, the Sonic Jacket feels intentionally industrial. Rows of exposed speaker components create a sculptural surface that makes the garment appear more like equipment than clothing, reinforcing the brand’s fascination with utility and futurism.
What makes the concept resonate beyond novelty is the wider cultural shift surrounding immersive experiences and wearable wellness. As technology becomes increasingly personal, Vollebak is proposing a future where clothing doesn’t simply protect or decorate the body — it actively interacts with it.
Whether the Sonic Jacket eventually becomes a commercial product almost feels secondary. More importantly, it positions Vollebak within a growing conversation around what fashion could become over the next decade: adaptive, sensory and deeply integrated into how we physically experience the world.
