Barely a month ago, the 878® brand introduced the world’s first smart sailing apparel designed, manufactured and developed in Hungary, and now it is acknowledged with the Red Dot Product Design Award 2021, which is one of the most prestigious international design recognitions. The award was given for the excellent quality, innovation, unique appearance, and functionality of the product. The lead designer of the sailing apparel is Lilla Majer who is also a partner of the company, and the recognition also honors the work of the design team members, including Marcell Nagy, Roland Mákl and Richárd Tóbiás.
Manufacturing technology, digital solutions and material innovation are combined with unique design in the 878® premium sailing apparel, which all enable both leisure sailors and professional athletes to reach a better performance. By winning the Red Dot Award, 878® has proven with its product that it is not just another player on the international market, but also stands out among its competitors.
Another unique feature of the 878’s sailing apparels is that they are made of a Nobel Prize-winning material, graphene, and manufactured in the company’s own factory in Székesfehérvár, Hungary. The product in addition to being much lighter than an average sailing suit, is completely waterproof and perfectly customizable thanks to 3D body scanning. With the product and material innovations, as well as smart, built-in digital solutions, these sailing suits can significantly contribute to maximum enjoyment of the sport and enhance athletes’ performance.
The Red Dot Award with its over 65 year long tradition received thousands of nominations from around the world, and a professional jury of fifty members shortlisted the best ones. In addition to being included in the Red Dot Design Yearbook 2021/2022, the winning entries, including the 878®sailing apparel, is also presented in the “Design on the Stage” exhibition at the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen, Germany.
“We are very pleased and honored to receive this prestigious award, especially because our market entry is still relatively fresh. This award is also seen as a great recognition that our niche products can represent real design and product development values in the global market”- said István Papp, CEO of 878.
Another merit of the company is that they prioritize sustainability. Only chemical-free and environmentally friendly materials are used and developed for the 878 sailing apparel pieces — while water consumption is minimized. As part of their social responsibility program, they allocate a part of their profit to water and ocean clean-up initiatives. Their fully digitized and computer-controlled production capacities allow them to operate as a waste-free company and deliver their products to customers in an environmentally friendly way.
