Multiple International Design Awards Honor NOTAPE™: No Tape Zipper Redefines Design Boundaries

For more than a century, the zipper has followed a familiar construction: teeth attached to textile tapes, with the tapes sewn onto a garment. It is such an established structure that few people question whether the tape is still necessary.

NOTAPE™ began with a simple question: What would happen if the zipper tape no longer existed?

With no established drawings, manufacturing references, or proven technical route to follow, the development team spent years testing materials, structures, processing parameters, and garment integration methods. The result is a new category of No Tape Zipper designed to give apparel developers greater structural freedom while reducing unnecessary material.

This approach has received recognition from several international design programs, including the Red Dot: Best of the Best, an ISPO Award, and a SHOP! Design Awards Gold Award. The Red Dot jury highlighted the direct integration of the zipper with garment fabric, its reduced weight, and its potential to support new apparel applications. The NOTAPE™ zipper was also listed among the Gold Award recipients at the 2025 Shop! Design Awards.

A New Zipper Structure Earns International Recognition

Design awards often evaluate more than appearance. They also consider how a product responds to functional requirements, user experience, technical limitations, and changing industry needs.

NOTAPE™ has attracted international attention because its innovation begins with the fundamental zipper structure.

International Recognition	Brief History	Main Award Conditions	Significance for NOTAPE™
Red Dot: Best of the Best	The Red Dot competition dates to 1955. “Best of the Best” is reserved for outstanding products within their categories.	Independent experts assess entries individually, considering design quality, innovation, function, ergonomics, durability, and related criteria.	Recognizes the No Tape Coil Zipper as a structural design innovation rather than a minor modification.
ISPO Award	ISPO began in Munich in 1970 and developed into an international sports-industry platform.	Products are evaluated by experts and active users for innovation, functionality, sustainability, design, and relevance to sports markets.	Supports the application potential of this Technology Zipper in outdoor and performance apparel.
SHOP! Design Awards	A long-running Shop! Association program covering retail, product, fixture, and visual design.	An independent jury considers design excellence, originality, material use, execution quality, and sometimes commercial return.	Demonstrates the Innovative Zipper’s design communication and commercial presentation value.

More Than an Award-Winning Appearance

International design awards are not only about visual styling. They also examine how a product responds to functional, material, environmental, and user-related challenges.

For NOTAPE™, the main change is structural.

Instead of treating textile tape as an unavoidable part of a zipper, NOTAPE™ keeps only the essential components:

•Teeth

•Slider and puller

•Pin and box

•Top and bottom stoppers

The zipper structure is integrated directly with the garment fabric. This achieves a neater closure line, and minimizes the visual bulk that conventional zipper tape may add, especially to lighter or more flexible fabrics.

The result is not simply a modified zipper appearance. It represents a different relationship between the closure system and the garment itself.

No Tape Zipper Solution

NOTAPE™ has developed differentiated solutions:

“The World’s First No Tape Coil Zipper “

Removing the conventional zipper tape while retaining the sewing construction required for garment assembly. This design reduces material use, creates a lighter visual effect and supports flexible integration with different garment fabrics.

“The World’s First No Tape, No Seam Resin Zipper “

Eliminating both the conventional tape and the separate zipper-sewing structure. The result is a cleaner closure line, a simplified garment construction and a more modern, integrated appearance.

NOTAPE™ SEAL Water-resistant Zipper

Combining No Tape, No Seam and No Coating in one structure. Rather than relying on a surface coating, it achieves water-resistant performance through structural design, supporting a cleaner construction and more consistent performance over continued use.

These No Tape zipper solutions are suitable for outdoor apparel, sportswear, casualwear, cycling apparel, skin jackets, sun-protective clothing, hardshell jackets, and ski apparel.

A Lighter Component for Lightweight Apparel

Removing the tape can make a measurable difference to zipper weight.

Using a No. 5, 65 cm zipper as an example:

Zipper Type	Conventional Zipper	NOTAPE™ Solution
Resin Zipper	12–15 g	6.66 g
Coil Zipper	11–14 g	6.5 g

The actual percentage varies according to the reference zipper, material configuration, length, slider, and finishing requirements. However, the comparison shows how structural simplification can support weight-sensitive apparel development.

For brands designing lightweight outdoor jackets, cycling apparel, sun-protective clothing, or packable garments, reducing several grams from a single component may contribute to the overall weight target without requiring visible design compromises.

From Structural Reduction to Environmental Measurement

The No Tape structure also removes processes and materials associated with conventional textile zipper tape.

According to NOTAPE™ environmental assessment data, verified carbon-footprint comparisons indicate:

•19.4% lower carbon emissions for the Coil Zipper

•26.6% lower carbon emissions for the Resin Zipper

Additional comparative data provided by NOTAPE™ include:

Environmental Indicator	Resin Zipper Reduction
Water consumption	45% – 95%
Energy consumption	32% – 42%
Chemical usage	45% – 62%
Weight	25% – 45%

For every 10,000 units converted under the specified No. 5 Resin Zipper comparison standard, the estimated reduction may reach 1,617 kg of CO₂.

Based on No. 5 Resin Zipper conversion standards, and with the assumption that each fir tree absorbs 18 kg of CO₂ annually, the calculation conditions state that actual results will depend upon the length of the zipper, its specifications, materials, production conditions, and assessment boundaries.

These figures allow apparel brands to discuss an Eco Zipper, Green Zipper, or Sustainable Zipper through measurable structural changes rather than broad environmental claims.

NOTAPE™ SEAL: Water Resistance Without Coating

Conventional water-resistant zippers commonly depend on treated tape, films, or surface coatings. Over time, tape absorbency, sewing needle holes, washing, and abrasion may influence performance.

The NOTAPE™ SEAL Water-resistant Zipper: No Tape, No Seam, No Coating follows a different principle.

Its Structural Engineered Anti-Leak Technology removes absorbent zipper tape and conventional needle holes. Through precision attachment of the teeth directly with the garment fabric, the structure creates a physical barrier that supports water-resistant performance without coating.

This construction also helps reduce bulk and weight while maintaining the strength required for functional outdoor garments.

What International Recognition Means for Apparel Brands

For designers and sourcing teams, the practical value is more important than the trophy itself. NOTAPE™ offers an Innovative Zipper and Technology Zipper platform that may support:

•Cleaner and more minimal garment construction

•Reduced component weight

•Fewer tape-related color-matching requirements

•Simplified material management

•New closure aesthetics for lightweight fabrics

•Measurable resource and carbon-reduction communication

NOTAPE™ does not suggest that one component can transform the entire apparel industry on its own. However, reconsidering a small and long-established accessory can open meaningful possibilities.

After generations of accepting zipper tape as a fixed rule, the No Tape Zipper demonstrates that even a familiar component may still have room to evolve.

FAQs

Q1: Does NOTAPE™ SEAL provide the same level of water protection as conventional waterproof zippers? How waterproof is it?

NOTAPE™ is the world’s first no tape, no seam and water-resistant zipper without coating, so there is currently no dedicated testing standard for this type of zipper. As a result, its performance is assessed using the same industry test methods applied to conventional water-resistant zippers.

Independent testing by ITS and SGS confirms that the NOTAPE™ SEAL series meets the water-resistant performance requirements of internationally recognized European, American, and Chinese industry standards.

Q2: Is it possible to add a waterproof inner flap?

Yes. We can support the development process and help address any related technical or manufacturing challenges.

Q3: How is NOTAPE zipper installed onto fabric? Can it be installed by home sewing machines, or does it require special equipment? Is it glued on?

NOTAPE is a global first, featuring proprietary patented technologies for no tape coil zippers and no tape , no seam resin zippers. The zipper is formed as one with the fabric using patented equipment, rather than traditional sewing methods.

Q4: Are there requirements regarding fabric type or thickness when using NOTAPE™ zippers?

Currently, NOTAPE™ technology is more suitable for synthetic fibers such as nylon and polyester, as well as woven, knitted, low-elastic, or non-elastic fabrics. The applicability of other materials is still under development and testing.

Q5: How is the pricing of NOTAPE™ zippers?

NOTAPE™ is positioned as a premium solution. Higher cost reflects the innovation and technology involved.