FURTIV bulletproof jackets, a story of challenges
In 2013, PROTECOP and INVENTIVE CITI (now VEST PARIS) combined their expertise to create a line of revolutionary jackets combining bulletproof protection, elegance, practicality and comfort.
This collection of bulletproof jackets was called FURTIV in reference to the invisibility of the bulletproof in the jacket.
Why such a bulletproof project?
It all started in 2013 when a customer who came to buy an Inventive Citi jacket submitted the idea of having a jacket as subtle as those from Inventive Citi, but nevertheless bulletproof protection.
“Being experts in protection and design... why not take up the challenge and create the first jacket that hides a bulletproof vest? ”
In order not to throw ourselves headlong into a costly and short-lived challenge, we carried out a market study to validate that a need really existed.
The need was as follows: many users were looking in vain for a less restrictive and more discreet way to protect themselves from handguns or blades than with a conventional bulletproof vest.
All the signals were green, we went for it.
The Limits of the Bulletproof Vest
First of all, we wanted to solve the constraint of wearing a bulletproof vest by putting our finger on it. For beginners, a bulletproof vest can be put on by the head with 2 plates on the face and back that are joined together with a velcro.
Here are the reasons why our users no longer want or can't wear such vests?
- A vest is an additional item in your locker room; it takes up space on you and you have to find it once you take it off
- It can be seen, it is not discreet and therefore there is no longer the effect of surprise
- It is unsightly
- It is heavy, uncomfortable, bulky
- Wearing it for a long time is tiring and not breathable.
- Removing it by the head when there is no longer any risk is a tedious and unnatural gesture.
The First Steps in the World of Bulletproof
In 2013, we knew nothing about this universe, a fairly hermetic field that the fashion world has never ventured into. It was a clash of cultures.
So we had to upgrade ourselves, operate our network and contact several bulletproof specialists to present the project to them. For many months we found the door closed and received no response despite our reminders.
In order not to waste time, we started developing our first jacket designs by replacing ballistics with carpet. And yes! The D system! The 2 materials were similar in their stiffness and thickness.
And then after several months, thanks to numerous reminders, suppliers of bulletproof plates began to respond to us. During the first meetings, we felt a certain distrust. The project seemed unusual, complex to set up and above all, we seemed like UFOs in this universe of optimal security.
Several ballistic solutions were presented to us and finally the French company PROTECOP, one of the world leaders in internal security and law enforcement, became our partner.
The Challenges Ahead for FURTIV
If we were sure of our doing the design part, most of the work would focus on 3 essential points: successfully opening the jacket's face with 360° protection, maintaining optimal comfort for the jacket and, above all, meeting the certification requirements so that the jacket could be marketed.
Because as soon as personal security is concerned, the legal and regulatory constraints are very strict. You Don't Play with People's Lives.
These three challenges will require long months of development because we did not want to compromise on any point of the specifications. Wearing a jacket should be a pleasure, opening it from the front should be simple and safe should be total.
1st Challenge: The Facial Opening of the FURTIV Bulletproof Jacket
Our first objective is to transform a bulletproof vest into a practical object to wear on a daily basis, like a classic piece of clothing.
That's why we integrated it into a jacket, to simplify the lives of our users, to give them a new experience with an object that is restrictive by nature.
We wanted to make it aesthetic, practical, easy to use and offer a real feeling of freedom: you can wear it and take it off whenever you want.
Even if the bet was successful in the end, the challenge of integrating ballistics into a jacket is a puzzle. This requires a lot of attention to detail, starting with the principle of facial openness. This challenge was fundamental because it was necessary to maintain the same level of ballistic safety and certification on the abdomen and chest as a vest that goes through the head.
This first challenge was complex to solve but we succeeded by working on the principle of the overoverlap of the 2 front plates.
2nd challenge: 360° certified bulletproof protection
To be sold to civilians, we are obliged to use level 3A and 3A+ ballistics because it is the only authorized one.
This ballistics level protects handguns such as the 44 Magnum, the 9mm, the 357 SIG, and the 7.62 Tokarev + 12 mm for the 3A+ level. This is already a very high level of protection.
We wanted the ballistics integrated into this jacket not to hinder the mobility of the user and to protect his vital organs in 360°: face, back and sides.
It was a real work of art between our Design Department and our partner Protecop, whose instructions, opinions and feedback were scrupulously followed.
The coming and going lasted several months and everything worked to the millimeter to ensure that the jacket was as comfortable as it was protective.
We had to respect heights, surfaces, overlaps and shapes so that vital organs like the chest, abdomen and back were fully protected.
3rd Challenge: The Pleasure of Wearing the FURTIV Jacket
Wearing a bulletproof vest is so uncomfortable and restrictive that our mission was to make it a piece of clothing that offers both pleasure and a sense of security.
To achieve this result, the work of the modellers and our designers was long and meticulous. A real Swiss watchmaker's work carried out in the Haute Couture Workshops in France and Italy for nearly 2 years.
The search for general balance in clothing was a priority objective because rigid ballistic plates are intruders in a jacket. She should not lean forward, backward, or sideways.
This long development process has been facilitated by the success of our jackets with our users and praised at the Milipol, Shot Show in Las Vegas and Platinium in Monaco.
We have succeeded in transforming the unpleasant experience of wearing a bulletproof shield into an unforgettable experience that can be repeated at will.
