My decision to design an apron came about in a strange way. Unlike the light, I didn’t really have a vision of what it is in my mind. Instead it started with a project I was working on with designers and then discussed with a chef. Ideas are funny.

Ideas can be slippery and move in directions we don’t expect. Such was the idea of a professional backpack. It was driven by a desire to design a backpack that was minimal in form but extremely functional: a bag with the practicality of a backpack but with the look of a professional satchel. I can’t trace how that found it’s way to an apron, but the materials we were looking at and the manufacturer we were working with were a part. Cocktails and culinary expertise were also parts. Whatever the path, it has come to this.

The apron is an interesting thing, especially in the kitchen. They are all pretty much the same: construction, materials, and meaning. They are protective, but only from dirt (excepting extreme cases of industrial process like smelting and welding). They don’t really evolve, but they change material. They are wearable, but not exceptionally comfortable. The function isn’t so much keep me safe as it is keep me clean. I would say that the design of an apron is adequate. 

Craft is design for superlatives. 

Beautiful. 

Indestructible. 

Amazing. 

Impossible. 

Inspiring. 

So as the slippery little idea went from backpack to apron, it also started to grow and ask questions. What would the best apron for a professional chef be? What could it be? It would protect them from fire and hot liquids. It would be comfortable for whoever wears it. It would let them keep things on them that they need. It would look good, even during service. That little idea just hit on something big. 

I believe in something I call, “Obligation to the Good.” If something is good, if it is correct and true, then those that are capable of making it real are obligated to do so. It’s an odd rule, sure, but it is not something I came up with as much as observed. The drawback is we just don’t have the time to pursue every good idea we have. If you or I tried, we would never finish anything. So I squirrel them away and pull them out when I get time. The apron waited more than six months. The lamp on this page waited over a year. I have ideas squirreled away that are more than five years old now. They are waiting for the right time. 

I have been working on the apron, and I am going to share that next. Hopefully there will be some video to go with it. I need to get some permission from people to make sure they don’t mind my using their names and making sure they approve everything. Shouldn’t be a problem, but I like to have permission when it comes to someone’s person. For now, I will show how I started going from idea to design and try to share some of my strategic thinking. 

Stay tuned. 

-Bates