Fashion Design and Technology"

Fashion Retail issue 1–2/2018

Fashion and technology are not usually seen as related fields. However, in recent years, we are increasingly observing trends that are shifting wearable fashion into new dimensions.

The world of technology is merging with the world of fashion, as tech giants like Amazon, Apple, Google, and others invest in exploring ways to connect technology with the fashion industry. The imaginary line between these two sectors is fading.

We’re no longer talking about traditional fashion that merely incorporates technological features like LED T-shirts, but instead, we are moving toward what are called wearable technologies, fully integrated into clothing. We are slowly approaching a point where the integration of the digital world into everyday clothing may even eliminate the need for smartphones entirely. It might be just a tiny microcontroller embedded in our garment that ends the smartphone era.

In recent years, we’ve also seen collaborations such as that between Google and Levi’s, focusing on implementing technologies that transform fabrics into gesture-controlled surfaces. In the Project Jacquard, Google introduced major innovations within the fabrics themselves. These include experiments with conductive fabrics, making fashion items "smarter." Just months ago, Google and Levi’s released the “Commuter” denim jacket, which lets you play music or check the time. Their vision is to embed this technology more broadly into everyday clothing such as casual wear, jeans, and T-shirts.

Today’s smart devices are considered a natural part of our lives. However, the synergy between our bodies and technology could become even more instinctive — for example, if conductive fabrics could directly monitor our bodily functions.

Smart clothing could then read body movements and instantly analyze collected data. The next logical step would be a deeper integration of kinesiology and more effective use of its potential.

By linking fashion design, art, technology, and kinesiology, we will see the development of materials that will soon become standard in the design of “smart” clothing.

References:

• Engadget. 2018. Fashion and technology will inevitably become one. [Online] Available at: https://www.engadget.com/2017/05/23/the-future-of-fashion-and-technology/ [Accessed 01 February 2018].

• Wareable. 2018. Project Jacquard guide: The lowdown on Google and Levi’s smart jacket. [Online] Available at: https://www.wareable.com/smart-clothing/google-levis-project-jacquard-release-date-2750 [Accessed 03 February 2018].