Arnold Aranez, who has made a name as the popular technology blogger “Mr. Gadget,” has just launched the first of a series of high-end tablet and smart-phone cases made from genuine kangaroo leather. The initial offering is a luxuriously styled case for the iPad 2.
The Aranez iPad 2 Notebook Kangaroo Leather Case has a stylishly professional slim notebook design that affords easy access to charging ports, buttons, and camera. It includes a business card holder and a clever foldout lap-stand, and comes with Aranez Leather Conditioner and micro-fiber cleaning kit. Designed to hold the iPad 2 securely, the case is made of high-grade genuine Australian kangaroo leather, accented by synthetic silver stitching.
“In our development of this case,” says Aranez, “we got a lot of feedback from iPad 2 owners about what they wanted to see in a premium case. When we showed our first case, they immediately fell in love with the design and the leather. I’m overwhelmed by the positive response so far. Very excited.” It is the first of many cases his company intends to introduce over the next few months. “We plan to cover all major smartphones and tablets, with our focus being to give the world a superior range of leather cases”, he adds.
What’s so special about kangaroo leather, or K-Leather, as it is sometimes referred to? “Very simply, kangaroo leather is the best-performing leather in the world,” says Aranez, explaining that it is lightweight but strong and durable. “In fact, the fiber structure of kangaroo leather is the strongest of any readily available leather,” he adds. Recent studies have suggested links between the kangaroo fiber matrix and that of birds and reptiles. It’s almost a prehistoric fiber structure, one that evolved from animals that needed to survive in the harshest environments against multiple predators. Put it this way: If it can help protect the kangaroo from Australia’s unforgiving environment, it is ideally suited to shielding tablets and smart phones from the slings and arrows of modern life.
For those concerned about the welfare of the ‘roos, Aranez explains that the kangaroos are not killed for leather. To the contrary, the K-Leather used in the Aranez cases is a byproduct of strategic harvesting instituted by the Australian government to help control the kangaroo population in Australia, particularly in the states of Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia. The eradication of the kangaroo’s natural predators, combined with the hardy marsupial’s prodigious reproductive abilities, have resulted in a chronic overpopulation problem that, according to the Aussie government, threatens numerous other species as well as the ecosystem. The management programs control the populations while ensuring the sustainability of the common kangaroo species as a renewable resource. Says Ararnez, “The skins are a byproduct in the same sense that cowhide leather is a byproduct of the meat industry.”
Aranez iPad 2 Notebook Kangaroo Leather Case will be available for purchase and distribution in the United States, Asia, and Europe by late June. Currently Aranez is looking for partners to sell his upscale brand; he is particularly interested in distributors in the U.S. The Aranez iPad 2 Notebook Kangaroo Leather Case will retail for US$199.95.
“As the smartphone and tablet markets continue to mature, people will naturally look for ways to protect or individualize their devices,” says Aranez. “What we’re doing is providing consumers with a high-end choice.”
He says it’s a choice that offers the best of both worlds: style and practicality. “With kangaroo leather, we’re able to craft cases that are both luxurious and practical,” says Aranez. “Style is important, of course, but our designs focus on functionality and protection as well.” And then there’s the status factor: there’s no doubt that the Aranez cases are targeted to customers who want to stand out.
“Bottom line: we are passionate about technology and style,” says Aranez. And if the initial interest in his K-Leather product line is any indication, so are potential millions of smartphone and tablet owners.
