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E-Clothing For The Techie In You

By admins | February 12, 2009

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Gizmodiva
Fashion and technology go hand and hand, especially recently. What fashionistas outfit is complete without her slick little iPhone or iPod? From futuristic looking laptops to the newest cell phones, gadgets have become “must have” accessories. At the mall teens are just as likely to be spotted overrunning the Apple store as Abercrombie & Finch. Technology has become sexy; and geek chic is no longer just for the geek! Inside the fashion industry technology is a staple of doing business. Many designers no longer use pen and paper for sketching, but rather work via Computer Aided Design. And what fashion salesman or executive would be complete without their crackberry Blackberry.

So it was only a matter of time before technology and fashion take that next step forward. The evolution of computer technology integrating into wearable clothing has been underway for several years now. The active-wear market was a forerunner in using techie elements in their designs. Be it actual electronic lights in tracksuits for safety while running at night, or by incorporating pockets and openings to hold cell phones and Mp3s while working- out. Childrens wear has also been ahead in this area; who hasn’t seen a kid whose shoes are irritatingly flashing and beeping?

However, the real step forward is what several designers and engineers are working on, making a wearable personal computer. Infineon Laboratory on Emerging Technologies has created a technique to make the computer microchip wearable and washable. By using woven strips of fabric that contain conducting wire, which are then covered by silver and plastic, technology becomes wearable. They have also developed a plastic material similar to polyurethane to encapsulate the chip module. Infineon is focusing on creating apparel that could function as a communication device, have GPS abilities, and contain health-care technologies like a wearable heart monitor. There are many challenges in this area, chief among them, is balancing the technological function with style and comfort. Additionally, there are many who question the safety aspect of E-clothing. Most importantly are concerns related to electrical shocks, and cancer causing waves. Last year electronics giant Phillips and clothing manufacture Levi’s teamed up to create the ICD+ line. This line of jackets incorporated a cell phone, Mp3 player, and universal remote control within a single garment. Like much E-Clothing the price tag was high and really only appeals to a few tech savvy luxury consumers.

Besides the functionality of merging technology with apparel there’s also the fashion aspect. E-Clothing at its best can be stunning and inspiring, where technology takes a backseat to fashion. An example is when designer Hussein Chalayan and Swarovski teamed up to create the brilliant dress shown above. By combining LED lights and translucent fabric they created a one of a kind design for the luxury market. LED as a fashion element has become so increasingly popular that it has inspired its own LED fashion show in San Francisco last year. We predict that the E-Clothing trend will only grow bigger going forward and we encourage all designers to start thinking of techie inspired elements to incorporate into your lines. And on a personal note, to all you cold weather accessory designers, please, please design gloves with an index finger opening for our iPods and iPhones.