Fashion Tech is evolving to the direction of presenting customized experiences.
With the growth of digital based IT technologies, their scope of usage is being expanded to more and more areas. Among them, Fashion Tech is an encompassing technology that not only regards fiber or new material related technology but something that makes clothes shopping a lot more convenient and fun experience. It doesn’t stop at creating technology grated items, but the trend these days is to make use of technologies that can provide customized experiences.
Many brands are also trying their hand in fashion and technology fusion. What would happen if beautiful design met state of the art IT technology? With the fashion’s emotional factor on top of technology, consumers will be able to experience a new type of everyday life. Here are a few Fashion Techs that will change your everyday life into movies.
Sunglasses that will protect your whole body, INNOCEAN ‘Glatus’
Glatus received much attention with just its test products in 2018.
Have you ever imagined a pair of sunglasses that will wake you up when you are sleepy while also protecting your eyes? Something we’ve only seen in the SF movies we saw when we were kids is out in reality. It’s ‘Glatus’, introduced by INNOCEAN Worldwide. The test products they introduced in the biggest electronic products exhibition, ‘CES 2018’ last year in Las Vegas, U.S., received much attention domestically and globally.
Glatus is a pair of smart sunglasses that not only protects our sight but also your whole body.
Glatus does not stop at keeping your sight safe like regular sunglasses, but it also protects the whole body. If you go outside with the sunglasses on, the sensors built inside both sides will detect ultraviolet rays continuously. They will tract the amount of UV created by sunlight coming in from various locations and will notify you in voice depending on different danger levels that require protection from UV rays. You can get real time UV information your skin is exposed to, which helps with keeping your eyes safe as well as preventing skin wrinkles and skin diseases, etc. Also, the smart reaction technology will detect brightness around you real time and adjust the lens brightness automatically. Glatus, perfect for those who love being outdoors, will begin sales next year in U.S. and Europe first.
Regular model: $295
Premium model with transition lens: $355
Backpack for digital nomads, Saint Laurent-Google ‘The Cit-E’
Saint Laurent and Google are launching a touch technology applied backpack (Photography source. Saint Laurent).
In September, fashion brand ‘Saint Laurent’ and Google together launched a smart backpack ‘The Cit-E’. It’s the signature Saint Laurent style, a simple neat black bag. It doesn’t look like much, but there’s Google technology embedded. There’s a touch sensor inside the backpack’s left strap. It was designed to recognize swipe, double tap, cover, and many other gestures to activate your smartphone. Using such function will allow you to play music or use the navigation without touching the smartphone directly.
Backpack materials are applied with information and service (Photography source. Saint Laurent).
Google is developing smart wear with Project Jacquard. Project Jacquard is a technology that creates fabric with built-in touch sensor; they have already released a smart denim jacket that made use of touch sensing fabric technology with Levi’s 2 years ago. It’s not about simply combing fashion and IT technology but also applying information and service inside the clothing fabric. It won’t be long until we see clothing, not only backpacks, that will enrich the lives of digital nomads who have to move around to work.
Price: 795 euros
A bag that makes it hard for you to lose your smartphone, Louis Vuitton ‘Canvas of the Future’
Louis Vuitton, a brand with a long history, introduces a tech-applied item (Photography source. Louis Vuitton Cruise 2020 Collection).
Luxury brands with long standing history and tradition are also changing with technology. Louis Vuitton is adapting technology in a new way to bring about young sentiments and characteristics. At its recent ‘New York Louis Vuitton Cruise 2020 fashion show', they introduced the display built-in handbag called 'Canvas of the Future'. 2 different displays on the Louis Vuitton signature-patterned brown leather showed off bright, vivid colors.
It’s not just a bag, it’s like an expansion of smartphone (Photography source. Louis Vuitton Cruise 2020 Collection).
Louis Vuitton disclosed its production intent by saying that ‘a handbag is not just a bag but an extension of smartphone’. It actually made use of the smartphone AMOLED technology to create its flexible display. The screen also allows you to touch it, so with this bag, you have a very blurry line between your smartphone and your pocket. It would be very useful to those who often misplace their smartphones. But as this is yet a prototype, we will need time to see it on the shelves.
Price: TBD
3D printing fashion from scratch, ‘Julia Korner’
The queen’s costume and accessories in the movie are all by 3D design (Photography source. movies ).
This year the movie won the 91st Academy Awards for best costume design. You may wonder why we are suddenly bringing up a movie, but the costumes of are exceptional in that they were all created with a 3D printer. The queen’s costumes and accessories in the movie were all done by the Australian architect and 3D designer Julia Korner and Materialise.
Recently there is a technology in making to create fabric with a 3D printer (Photography source. Julia Korner Venus Collection).
3D printing fashion era is upon us. Until now we had 3D printed elaborate, complex accessories. These days, we are seeing the developing of technology that creates knitting with 3D printers. With such technology being aggressively used, consumers will be able to produce a design with a fabric of their liking when they go shopping. If you are someone who pursues fashion unlike anyone else, this would be an opportunity you don’t want to miss.
Price: 1000 euros
A ring that checks your health in an easy way, Motiv ‘smart ring’
Motiv smart ring is just alright for you to wear in your everyday life (Photography source. Motiv).
Apple, Samsung, and many IT corporates are releasing smart watches. The biggest function in a smart watch is Fitness Tracking, which regularly checks and records your health status. But most smart watches are bigger and heavier than the usual ones; it’s not so great for an everyday use. Well now we have Motiv’s smart ring.
It’s also waterproof; you can wear it 24 hours (Photography source. Motiv).
Of course, there have been various smart rings so far. But as it’s not easy to apply sensors onto a small item like a ring, all the previous smart rings didn’t have such great designs. But Motiv’s smart ring succeeded in applying sensors onto a beautiful design. Inside the width of 2.55mm, there’s technology for checking your heartbeat, steps taken, spent calories, distance walked, sleeping pattern, etc. It’s also waterproof. If you can’t be bothered to take off your accessories, you can wear this one 24 hours a day.
Price: $199.99
