UK Intellectual Property Office

UK Intellectual Property Office

ProspectIP and UK Intellectual Property Officework together to provide training and events in the field of intellectual property and commercialising ideas/inventions for businesses within the East Midlands

ProspectIP and the Pant Pioneers

28th January 2008

Image

From the Leicester Mercury (28/01/08):

Days after BBC presenter Jeremy Paxman took Marks & Spencer to task over a lack of "adequate support" in his underwear, a Loughborough duo say they have the solution.

Paul O'Leary and Darren Cleary have been working on a top-secret project for the past year and said they were now ready to show the world their "radically different" pants - which, they said, will put an end to "men's problems".

At their factory in Loughborough, the pair have produced more than 160 prototypes to perfect what they described as a "revolution" in underwear design.

The pair said they could not yet divulge the exact details of how the underwear worked as they were waiting for their patent application to be granted. However, Paul, 44, said that the key to the product's success was its ability to adjust the amount of support provided to suit the wearer. He said: "I have no doubt in my mind that these are the most advanced underpants ever created. "When we have told people what these pants do their jaws drop open."

Paul said the idea came to him more than 20 years ago, when he was working in furniture design and spending a lot of time on the road making deliveries. He said: "When you are getting in and out of a van 20 times a day, you soon learn about the problems of keeping yourself in order downstairs." However, it was only when his friend, textile designer Darren, became available that he was able to set to work on the project.

Now, with the backing of ProspectIP, a De Montfort University initiative which helps develop and fund ideas - which invested £50,000 in the project - the pants are weeks away from being unveiled.

Darren, 39, who studied embroidery design at the former Loughborough College of Art and Design, said he was intrigued when Paul came to him with the idea. He said: "The design of underpants has not changed much since the 1930s and it seemed that there was a need for a radical improvement. "All men experience the same problems but nobody has addressed those problems until now. "I think that once people have put them on, they will not be able to take them off - they are so radically different from what people are used to."

Throughout the design process, both Paul and Darren have road tested every prototype. They said they had now arrived at a design which they were confident would be a success. They plan to approach Mr Paxman to get involved when they finally launch their pants to the public.

Dr Derek Palmer, head of innovation at Prospect IP, said: "What really impressed us about the product was it was trying to tackle a problem that is out there and experienced daily by millions of men. "I think a lot of men will appreciate what this product has to offer."

Paul and Darren said they hope to have their underwear, which will be available as boxer shorts, briefs, baggy-briefs and hipsters, on the shelves by May. The pair are working with manufacturers which will create 1,080 prototypes of their design, funded by ProspectIP's cash.

Once the design is finalised they will then compare quotes from Leicestershire producers, as well as companies in Sri Lanka, before deciding which will win the contract to make the product. Once the manufacturing firm is sorted, they hope stores will be lining up to sell their products.