iPhone Pocket is Apple's first quirky designer accessory in a while with a price to match

The Apple Design Studio has partnered with the iconic Issey Miyake fashion brand from Japan to produce a rather novel accessory dubbed the iPhone Pocket.

As the name suggests, it is intended to carry an iPhone around in style, but also "all pocketable items" that can't fit in the baggy, pocketless clothing trend.

iPhone Pocket price and release date

• $150 (short strap)
• $230 (long strap)
• Release: November 14

Available in both short-strap and longer formats, the iPhone Pocket will start from $149.95 when it is released in the US on Friday, November 14. The long-strap version that can be carried across one's body costs the princely $229.95. Apple already sells a $59 iPhone Crossbody Strap that can hook to several of its cases, but, needless to say, it is not nearly as cool as the Miyake-designed accessory.

As if to justify the pricing, Apple does wax poetic that the iPhone Pocket is a "limited-edition release," as it will only be available in select stores and online in the US, UK, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea.

iPhone Pocket colors

• Short strap: lemon, mandarin, purple, pink, peacock, sapphire, cinnamon, black
• Long strap: sapphire, cinnamon, black

The iPhone Pocket is inspired by the Japanese versatile "piece of cloth" design concept that can be turned into many clothing items, including a strap with a sliced opening that stretches to house the iPhone and envelope all other items one might want to carry on them for quick access.

The Issey Miyake fashion studio came up with the "3D-knitted" stretchable material of the iPhone Pocket, which serves to hold the handset firmly in place and at the same time allows for a quick peek at its display without covering the camera lens.

The iPhone Pocket accessory is made in Japan with its storied tradition in strong and durable textiles and represents "the joy of wearing iPhone in your own way," as per Issey Miyake's design director, as owners can mix and match colors to suit their phone and their taste.

The iPhone Pocket can be worn on the shoulder, arm, across the body, tied up to a handbag, a backpack, or in any other way pleased, too, making it a potentially viral accessory for fashion-conscious iPhone owners. It's "the idea of leaving things less defined to allow for possibilities and personal interpretation," adds Miyake.