By Christine Rudolph
Technology is responsible for our society’s progression, and some may even argue that it’s the only progression that we have managed to sustain given the reality of our social, physical and emotional selves. But technology never fails us. And it’s only natural that all the major industries want to keep up. The fashion industry is no different, and technology is certainly contributing to a new fashion trend.
In the recent years, many prominent names in the fashion world have made their approach to augment the creation and distribution of digital fashion.
Along with this, numerous new designers have launched innovative products that combine technology with the newest fashion into a neat product that serves more purpose than just style.
It all started with retail businesses going online, which gave them an expanded reach and reduced their costs. Then followed social and mobile commerce, portable POS systems, one-touch payment options like PayPal and Amazon, and the introduction of free shipping. There was also a massive shift in consumer shopping patterns brought on by recurrent industry innovations, which the businesses have had to adopt.
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The fashion world many times led the way to accept the digital world by collaborating with companies like Apple and Google to create cutting edge wearable technology pieces. In 2012, designer Diane Von Furstenberg put models wearing colorful Google glasses on the runway sitting next to Google co-founder Sergey Brin. Competitor Apple has its own smart watch, an idea that even singer Will-I-Am monetized with his Puls Smartwatch, a gadget he describes as part of a line of “fashionology” merchandise that combines fashion and tech.
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Even clothes are now being produced differently, and the future of fashion might use 3D printing. The Kinematic dress, unlike the all-the-rage crop top of today, uses a single piece of plastic that reaches completion with just a command being sent to print. It requires no assembly and comes out in one piece. Technologies like 3D printing allow more precision to come into fashion ensembles, allowing more customization to be done by consumers. The transformation will enable people to ingrain a sense of personal feel to trends like off the shoulder tops and infuses them with their own set of fashion criteria.
Solar power is yet another technology infused into fashion by designer Andrew Schneider, who designed the solar power bikini. There are also solar power necklaces and handbags on the market, and these little smart gadgets can be used to charge a phone or a music device for a short time under the sun.
In the years ahead, many human disabilities will also be managed by our clothing, and some designers are at present moving in that direction. The “Feel the Time” Watch by Anna Bieniek is a braille watch concept that permits the visually impaired to stay on schedule. Creator Pedro Nakazato Andrade has fashioned a futuristic cast which uses a built-in EMG meter to trail the healing of bone and muscle and report the progress to a community website. Lastly, a special thimble has been created for the visually impaired that turns info in the world around them into braille feedback that is displayed upon the wearer’s finger.
These latest products seamlessly unite the core of fashion that is aesthetic appeal with the functionality of modern day technology to create items that soothe the senses and help the body achieve.
Christine Rudolph is an enthusiastic dreamer and a workaholic to achieve that. She is a blogger, writer, state level badminton player, and technology freak. Currently, she is associated with Sophie & Trey, an online clothing boutique and a team of style conscious millennials. For all updates, follow her @RudolphBlogger and become friends with her on @Facebook.
