PRESS RELEASE
Between the Mobile World Congress and CeBIT, a new brand will appear in the smartphone and tablet accessories market: Vicious and Divine - stylishly perfecting the smartphone
The luxury liner among smartphone cases shipped directly from the manufacturer - hand-sewn originals made from exclusive leather are now available to house the iPhone and other devices
Weertzen, 28 February 2013 - For the international CeBIT information and telecommunications trade fair, a new and exciting brand will appear in the smartphone and tablet accessories market: Vicious and Divine (VAD). The Vicious and Divine brand sets new standards in terms of the design, functionality and quality of smartphone and tablet cases. Vicious and Divine unites premium, handcrafted materials with stylish elegance and full functionality. Over the course of months of research into materials, only the best quality was considered. Each case is a true original - painstakingly handcrafted by masters of the art of case making at a manufacturing company. As a result, VAD products are definitely among this year's highlights of the smartphone and tablet accessories market - and are vital companions for those who appreciate that certain something and who want to stylishly protect their smartphone.
As a key characteristic of the VAD brand, special attention was paid to quality meaning research into materials alone took many months. "We looked at leather and other materials from around the world. And it took a while until we found a few select manufacturers that meet our philosophy of quality and style," says Carsten Blaschnig thinking back. Masters of the art of tailoring craft the handpicked raw materials into one-of-a-kind masterpieces at a manufacturing company in Turkey. Whether premium leather in assorted colours for the cases, carefully set sparking glass jewels or precisely worked sapele wood as an inlay for the GUARD MASKS - the materials give the products their really special character. With their soft padding and plush lining, the cases protect the delicate display perfectly against scratches and dust. What's more, thanks to their clever construction the cases effectively protect the display if it is placed screen-side down.
Producing premium accessories as one-of-a-kind masterpieces is something that's obvious to VAD. After all, its willingness to invest in advanced technology and to maintain it has risen considerably over the years. This is why VAD set itself the aim right from the outset to take its own approach and produce a premium, classically stylish range. Instead of producing off-the-shelf products offering dubious protection for the costly companion, the focus was placed on quality right from day one. It's a philosophy which will also continue to apply in future. "We want to make our customers happy and impress them with the quality of our products. I firmly believe that there's been a noticeable shift in people's thinking when it comes to the balance between their expectations and the price of the device and the accessory. Ultimately, the case should effectively protect the expensive device, but it should also be unique, like a wallet or a fine pair of shoes. Today, modern technology is a fundamental part of our lives and thus our constant companion. Consequently, it is naturally becoming an expression of the owner's personality - and it's precisely this feeling and result that our customers experience," says Carsten Blaschnig.
VAD boasts the perfect symbiosis of quality, design and functionality
Following the intensive research into materials, an attractive yet timelessly modern design was created with impressive eye-catching style elements. Over countless stages, prototypes were repeatedly assessed, further developed or even re-developed. Functionality was always a clearly defined component which, together with the outer design, creates the perfect symbiosis. Among other features, this is how the SOFT VEST's clever V-opening was developed. For instance, this element doesn't just let users conveniently charge their iPhone while it's in the case, it also allows them to slide it out really easily whenever they need to. The SOFT POUCH also boasts a closure mechanism which keeps the smartphone securely in the case but also lets the user remove it quickly using the Pull Strap. The COMFORT JACKET also shows that a great deal of attention was paid to the details: compared to similar designs, the clip remains securely in place thanks to a magnet integrated into the back of the cover. All the magnets have been painstakingly integrated into the material and are invisible from the outside. Once again, it's the attention to detail that adds sophistication to the GUARD MASK: the sides of the back cover from VAD are much lower than the smartphone making it nice to operate the device as no annoying edges can be felt. At the same time, the smartphone can be conveniently placed screen-side down as the edges of the GUARD MASK are designed in such a way that their height prevents the screen from touching the surface. After all, the smartphone is likely to be placed screen-side down for privacy reasons. While all these may seem little details and sophisticated features at first glance, ultimately they are key to total satisfaction and perfection when it comes to VAD.
Quality across the board: vegetable leather and real wood
In terms of leather crafting, VAD utilises traditional tanning and dyeing processes as the qualities of the leather can only be achieved using an extremely careful process. The texture and colour are also truly unique because of this special process as, in contrast to mass-production methods, attention is paid to the natural texture of each hide and its natural characteristics are preserved. This makes the leather feel even nicer than nappa leather which is being used increasingly more. The vegetable leather used is almost completely free of any chemical substances and is tanned in strict compliance with due processes. In addition, first-cut leather is used which means that only the best pieces of leather are crafted that are free from markings such as tendons and muscles. As a result, first-cut leather is especially soft. The two opposite sides of the leather are always used to make the front and back of the cases as they have grown identically. The case makers then make the finished leather into unique cases - each one handcrafted. "It goes without saying that we handle such high-quality materials carefully. The final product is initially checked multiple times by the master tailor in Turkey, we then of course check it using our own inspectors before it is shipped to Germany, and then it undergoes a further in-house check by our Internal Quality Control department,"explains Carsten Blaschnig.
In terms of the GUARD MASKS, the hard covers from VAD, the jewels are not set on the outside case as you may assume; rather, they are enclosed between two layers using a special dual-layer system which prevents the jewels from falling or breaking off. Jewellers and goldsmiths also follow a similar principle, literally embedding diamonds and sapphires in the material to fix the precious stones permanently in place.
When it comes to the inlays, the use of sapele wood (sə-PEE-lee) in particular is a real innovation as previously it has only been used in increasing quantities in the construction of expensive instruments (especially harps and guitars), in the luxury automobile industry and in ship building. The wood comes from the same botanical family as traditional American mahogany and resembles this in many key regards; however, compared to its popular relative it can be used without any misgivings as it comes from sustainable forests and is environmentally friendly according to the Goodwood Guide. The colourful wood has a very decorative and high-quality appearance thanks to its distinctive pattern, special colour, durability and bright lustre. Sapele is truly a beauty to behold with its special interlocking grain and golden finish.
The initial collection of leather cases from VAD is available from today. The different designs can be purchased from online retailers including Amazon. To match the smartphone cases, a range of tablet and notebook cases will follow this year.
More Information and Footage
Website: http://www.vicious-and-divine.com
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