Archive · 29 Nov 2025
YKK Introduces Revolutionary Tapeless Zipper After 100 Years
YKK, a company that makes zippers, is changing the way zippers are made for the first time in 100 years.
They have made a new zipper called AiryString that doesn't have the usual fabric tape.
This makes clothes with zippers more comfortable and flexible.
The new zipper is also better for the environment because it can be made from recycled materials.
YKK makes a lot of zippers every year and supplies them to many big companies.
They had to work with another company, Juki Corp, to make this new zipper.
Some companies are already using the new zipper in their clothes.
YKK Corp is launching the AiryString, a tapeless zipper design after 100 years of traditional zippers.
The new zipper is lighter, more flexible, and environmentally friendly, made from 100% recycled materials.
YKK was founded in 1934 by Tadao Yoshida and now operates 500+ factories globally, producing 10 billion zippers annually.
The AiryString was developed in collaboration with Juki Corp, a leader in industrial sewing machines, starting in 2017.
Early adopters of the AiryString include Descente Japan and The North Face, with YKK serving about 40% of the global apparel industry.
- Who
- YKK Corp, a Japanese company, is introducing a new zipper design.
- What
- The new zipper, called AiryString, is a tapeless design that is lighter and more flexible.
- When
- The new zipper is being launched now, after a collaboration that started in 2017.
- Where
- YKK operates globally, with a significant presence in Kurobe, Japan.
- Why
- The new design addresses the demand for lighter and more flexible garments, and is environmentally friendly.
- Company
- YKK Corp
- Annual Zipper Production
- 10 billion
- New Product
- AiryString tapeless zipper
- Founder
- Tadao Yoshida
- Global Factories
- 500+
- Collaborator
- Juki Corp
- Early Adopters
- Descente Japan, The North Face