About

EARLY YEARS & EDUCATION

Educated at East London University, Edward Harber received a degree in fashion design and spent the following two years working as a designer in the sports' apparel industry. He later enrolled in De Montfort University in Leicester, where he completed his master's degree in industrial design while pursuing additional studies in engineering and automotive design.

CAREER BEGINNINGS

Upon graduation, Harber teamed with Italian manufacturer, Dainese S.p.A., to design protective leathers for motorcycle riders. His designs were so well received he was recruited by the British and American military to create wearable computers for the infantry and subsequently, body armor and load carriage systems.

He says "my design process is a constant search for elegant solutions to newly observed problems"

NIKE & OLYMPIC GOLD

During a lecture tour about industrial design at Cornell University, Harber was approached by Nike and offered a position as a senior designer on their Apparel Innovation team.

Nicknamed by friends, "the architect of speed," Harber's Swift Suit for Nike was revolutionary. The impact the Swift Suit had (and continues to have) on professional athletic performance was significant.

"The Swift Suit was a game changer", he says. "It was the first time Nike apparel became equipment and had a measurable effect on performance, especially in speed skating."

For over 18 years, Harber continued working for Nike to create garments that alter what is possible for professional athletes.

FUTURE

Regarded as an expert at identifying problems and finding the technologies to solve them, Harber is a driving force in design innovation. When it comes to the future, he believes his best designs are yet to come.

"I want to achieve breadth—multiple solutions for multiple problems," says Harber. "I want to design products that are timeless and not influenced by trend. Products and objects that are elegant solutions to clearly defined problems."

AWARDS & PRESS:

Harber's work has been extensively published and exhibited internationally. Some of his most notable accomplishments include:

• ISPO Product of the year 2022 The North Face 50-50 Down Jacket

• Red Dot Award for Product Design: Nike PreCool Vest

• I.D. Magazine's Annual Design Review: Design Distinction for Nike Swift Suit

• D.O.D. Award for Exceptional Industrial Design: Force XX1 Land Warrior

• Nike Maxim Award: "It's in Our Nature to Innovate"

• Ministry of Defense: Graduate Science Trainee, Fast Track Program

• Work exhibited in multiple showings, including The Met in New York City and The Design Museum in London