Sir Jony Ive, creator of the iPhone (as if he needed an introduction), has transformed Comic Relief's iconic Red Nose. And while you might think Ive would bring the nose hurtling into the future with new technology, this year's design has actually been been constructed out of paper.
Dubbed the "Most Perfect Nose in History" the red ball is folded delicately and perfectly out of red paper, and it truly a thing to behold. In fact, it's so good we've already put it in our list of the best paper art creations.
In the UK, the red nose design reveal has been a constant since 1988 (see the iterations here for a nostalgia blast (opens in new tab)). With designs ranging from monster faces to tomatoes, the themes have been fun, engaging and usually made out of plastic (though a more eco-friendly material made out of sugar cane was introduced in 2020).
Jonny Ive's design, created by his LoveFrom (opens in new tab) design firm, is made almost completely out of plant-based materials – and the folding mechanisms are astonishing in their complexity. The red nose starts out as a small, flat crescent and opens out into a honeycomb paper sphere.
"This new and seemingly simple Red Nose has been a fabulously complex little object to design and make and has involved our entire team," Ive said. "We hope it brings a little moment of joy to everyone who wears one."
Alongside the nose comes an entertaining video, presented by Diane Morgan (see it above). Morgan compares the nose to the Earth, calling it the most perfect nose in history. It actually looks like it might stay on, too, a problem with designs of the past.
You can buy that perfect red nose at its new home on Amazon (opens in new tab).
Read more:
