You step off the train, glance down, and your shirt looks like it spent the journey in a ball. You’re already late. There’s no iron in sight. The wrinkle-release spray you bought once left a faint watermark on your best dress shirt, and you’ve never trusted it since. Safaa Fojdar, a product design graduate from De Montfort University, has designed a device that speaks directly to that moment.
Elide is a portable, cordless dewrinkler built for on-body crease removal. The concept is straightforward, and the execution is clever: a vacuum-style nozzle funnels warm air onto fabric while gentle suction pulls the material taut. As the nozzle moves across a crease, the fabric is smoothed and held flat. The device operates at a skin-safe maximum temperature of 45 degrees Celsius, meaning it’s designed to be used directly on clothing you’re wearing, without risk of discomfort. A refillable spray bottle built into the cap lets you mist the fabric lightly before running the device over it, which helps release stubborn creases before the warm air locks them flat.
Designer: Safaa Forjdar
The science behind it is the Coandă effect, a fluid dynamics principle that describes how airflow tends to follow a curved surface rather than moving straight off it. Fojdar applies this to fabric, using the combination of moisture and suction to pull the material into alignment before the warm air dries and sets it. It’s a disciplined bit of physics applied to a genuinely everyday annoyance.
For deeper creases that need more persuasion, Elide is modular. A hot plate attachment converts the handheld device into a compact corded iron capable of reaching up to 200 degrees Celsius. The ironing module uses self-locking hinges that fold the plate away when not in use, keeping the form tight and pocketable. It’s the kind of considered modularity that turns a single-use gadget into a system.
Fojdar developed a working 3D-printed prototype and presented it at the New Designers event in London, where De Montfort University showcased its graduating talent. The inspiration came from a gap she couldn’t stop noticing: there was simply nothing on the market that could freshen up creased clothing without removing it, without leaving residue, and without requiring a power socket and a flat surface. Elide proposes an answer to that gap with real thought behind it.
Whether it makes it to production or stays a prototype, the logic is sound. The best design often starts exactly here: one specific, relatable problem and the patience to figure out why nothing has solved it yet.
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