Becky and I were lucky enough to check out Syuzi Pakhchyan, our friend who writes FashioningTechnology, speak at the Wearable Tech Expo at NYU yesterday. Amidst waterproofing vendors and military tech vendors, Pakhchyan commented on the growing meeting points of wearable technology and high fashion, noting that “fashion seeks inspiration through novel manufacturing techniques.” We think so too! And are excited to see more of her beautiful posts that find these intersections.
Among other things, Pakhchyan pointed out the adaptions made by Swiss embroidery house Forster Rohner to incorporate circuitry into their intricate threads,
the GPS devices included in luxury apparel and accessories designer Asher Levine as the embodiment of embedding electronics in items formerly made entirely of natural fibers,
…and fashion designer Iris van Herpen, using 3D printed fashion design that right now allows for a new degree of intricacy in couture, but someday might make a new kind of individualized mass production.
As Pakhchyan points out, though, the two industries have very different embedded cultures, one emphasizing luxury, exclusivity, rarity, while the other emphasizes innovation, democracy and open information. At the close of her lecture, she also noted that the tech sector could borrow a page from fashion and borrow their ability to maintain a signature (Louboutin‘s red sole), tell a story or a narrative, and stick to a niche/brand identity. Between blinky embroidery, 3D printed bat wings, and GPS tracking jackets, we can’t wait for both industries to learn a little from each other.
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