Fashion Technology Stories

Welcome to the world of lost privacy.  However, it certainly is trendy and a great idea for wearable technology.  Fabulously trend worthy leap forward by Facebook & Ray-Ban.

Ray-Ban Stories - Wayfarer, Round, and Meteor.

Fashion Industry AI

The Apparel Search board of directors has approved the use of two different forms of AI to manage the worlds greatest fashion website.  Effective immediately we will start using the following two forms of AI.

• Artificial Intelligence
• Alien Intelligence

If you have questions, you can consult with our fashion industry board of directors.

Saint Laurent Cit-e Backpack

For the person who wants to do more on the go. The Saint Laurent Cit-e Backpack provides new digital experiences.

Shop for the Cit-e Backpack with Jacquard by Google at the YSL website.

• STYLE ID 5793639W0AF1000

Google Jacquard Levi's Trucker Jacket

Connected, not distracted. Iconic Levi’s® Trucker jacket merges style with innovative Jacquard technology. 

Use touch gestures, like swiping and tapping, on the left cuff of the jacket to issue commands.

The new and improved Jacquard Tag wirelessly connects your Trucker jacket to your smartphone.

Jacquard provides you helpful alerts — like when you’ve left your phone behind — using lights on the Tag and vibrations in the cuff to get your attention.

Embr Wave Body Thermostat Bracelet

Embr Labs, the first company to make temperature personal, is helping people find warmth and relief during the frigid winter months. The company’s flagship product, Embr Wave, is a revolutionary new wearable device that precisely cools or heats the temperature-sensitive skin on your wrist, helping you feel cooler or warmer in minutes.

Escape the Cold Winter Blues w/the Embr Wave Revolutionary Body Thermostat Bracelet

ALBIS PLASTIC and BASF Optimize Smart Glove

Fashion & technology are both exciting fields of interest to many people.  It is fabulous when the two industries intersect.  Yes, smart work gloves are clothing and therefore we consider them to be fashionable.

Origin by Grayton Mechanical Smart Watch

Fasten your seat belt, a clever new watch is coming! This is not their first collection but this one is special because it could revolutionize the watch industry, so we would like to share it with you as soon as possible.

It took them almost 2 years to design Origin, a classic mechanical watch that features an interchangeable slim strap with embedded electronics for adding fitness and intelligence to timekeeping. When modern tech meets traditional watchmaking, the Origin by Grayton is born!

Grayton introduces the Origin Mechanical watch: a classic self-winding timepiece with open-heart design plus a smart strap for activity tracking, phone notifications, music control and more. 

Technology evolves but style is timeless As boutique watch makers, Grayton understands that there is no substitute for a beautifully designed and handcrafted automatic watch. The Origin Mechanical watch represents the perfect marriage of sophistication and smarts - the natural evolution of Intelligent Timepieces for a connected world. 

Origin was designed to deliver the best of watchmaking and technology – a mechanical watch with a classic design and embedded electronics hidden in its leather strap that add convenient smart features.

The heart of the matter

The Origin is finely crafted to exacting standards in a brushed 316L stainless steel case with polished accents. The open-heart dial and see-through back cover puts Origin’s intricate selfwinding mechanism on display, and keeps Origin infinitely wound. Its Japanese movement has 26,100 beats per hour and 24 jewels for superior timekeeping accuracy and a power reserve of 41 hours between wearings.

Activity tracking in the strap

What makes Origin special, among other things, is the independent strap which instantly adds smart features. Designed to perfectly complement the Origin, the strap is refined, comfortable and slim. The smart strap is virtually indistinguishable from the best traditional leather straps of other fine watchmakers.

“Fitness trackers are popular because they are affordable and offer useful functions. But they feel cheap, are often uncomfortable and become obsolete quickly. We are living in a new era where timepieces meet fashion and technology and there is no turning back! Origin is the first Mechanical watch that has connected features built directly into a classic leather smart strap. Now, people don’t have to choose between beauty and convenience” Sébastien Druvent, Product Marketing Advisor.

Intelligent convenience every day

This revolutionary watch connects to a smartphone for the most convenient features such as calendar reminder, alarms, phone notifications and more. The built-in battery allows up to 10 days of autonomy between charges. It’s ideal for receiving notification alerts in the office or recording workout fitness data at the gym. The Origin and the accompanying Grayton app are compatible with both iPhone and Android phones.

Make any watch smart

For people that already have a watch that they love, the Grayton smart strap is interchangeable with standard watch straps to easily add fitness and intelligence to any watch from Daniel Wellington® to Patek Philippe®.

A watch ahead of its time

Grayton has raised the bar on what a classic watch can do. With Origin, fashion, technology and convenience coexist perfectly in a stunning timepiece for any occasion.

Availability

Origin is in pre-production for a commercial release in May 2017 on www.indiegogo.com/at/origin-watch

Origin will be exclusively available for pre-sale on Indiegogo.com beginning November 28st, 2016. Wholesale packages for distributors and retailers will be available during the campaign. About Grayton Grayton is an avant-garde brand that aims to make mechanical watches, the symbol of wealth and luxury for centuries, accessible to everyone. They create beautifully classic watches for the modern world with bold yet refined designs that add convenient technologies and timeless style. Grayton partners exclusively with the Montrichard Group, watch manufacturing and distribution experts that provide fast turnaround of high quality bespoke watch designs. Learn more about Grayton on: www.grayton-watches.com For media / press: press@grayton-watches.com

Ewatchfactory Corporation
390 5th Avenue, Suite 910,
NYC, NY 10801. United States
About Montrichard Group

Founded 20 years ago by the visionary entrepreneur Remi Chabrat, Montrichard Group is modernizing traditional watch manufacturing and global distribution with a revolutionary ‘just in time’ online manufacturing process solution know as Fines. With production facilities in Switzerland and China and marketing offices in the USA, Hong Kong and Europe, Montrichard Group supports innovative brands and licensed watchmakers in their rapid growth. Learn more about Montrichard Group on: www.montrichardwatch.com 

We hope that you have enjoyed learning about this new mechanical smart watch.  You may also have interest in viewing our fitness watches section which discusses fitness trackers and other sorts of wearable technology.  You may also be interested in viewing the wearable tech term in our fashion terminology section.

NGRAIN Smart Glasses

Eyewear can be functional as well as fashionable.  Although clothing is our primary focus, glasses are clearly a fashion accessory.  Therefore, it is important for fashionistas and the apparel industry to pay attention to new technologies relevant to wearable technology such as new eyewear opportunities.

NGRAIN announced the availability of NGRAIN Viewer for Android, a new app for Android tablets and smart glass devices, enabling the deployment of industrial 3D content created with NGRAIN Producer Pro. 

NGRAIN Viewer for Android offers organizations working with heavy equipment, assemblies, and other industrial assets in the field, the opportunity to easily explore possible use cases for smart glasses and 3D content without the need to invest in the development of a mobile 3D app. NGRAIN is further making Viewer for Android open source, offering R&D teams and developers an excellent starting point to customize and create their own industrial applications.

With NGRAIN Viewer for Android, NGRAIN provides the source code to bootstrap a 3D app for Android, load 3D content, view animations, play step-by-step tasks, and interact with content from NGRAIN Producer Pro. Developers can then quickly develop a customized 3D industrial app for Android by modifying and extending the NGRAIN source code. Using NGRAIN Producer Pro, organizations can rapidly create 3D content for these custom apps without the need for expertise in 3D graphics, custom scripting, or further programming.

“Smart glasses are creating opportunities for businesses to connect their employees in the field with access to the right information at the right time, and NGRAIN Viewer for Android, coupled with NGRAIN Producer Pro, is providing the best way for these organizations to experience this potential first-hand, enabling the creation and deployment of 3D industrial apps at a fraction of the cost and time of an outsourced, custom solution,” said Barry Po, Senior Director, Product and Business Development of NGRAIN.

NGRAIN is proud to be partnered with Epson in delivering an optimized experience for the Epson® Moverio® BT-200 and BT-300 smart eyewear. “The largest barrier to augmented reality (AR) for smart glasses is the cost of content creation, since the cost of creating step-by-step 3D models and AR content is too expensive to be practical for a lot of applications,” said Eric Mizufuka, product manager, New Ventures for Epson America. “What’s great about the NGRAIN Viewer for Android is it dramatically lowers the cost, while maintaining the quality of these high-end content experiences for AR glasses. This type of next-gen product is a critical part to helping the AR glasses ecosystem mature to mainstream adoption.”

Launching its first-generation smart glasses in 2011, Epson recently announced the Moverio BT-300, the world’s lightest binocular, transparent smart glasses with an OLED display. Combining breakthrough silicon-based OLED digital display technology, the Intel Atom processor, and Android OS 5.1, the Moverio BT-300 enables a truly transparent mobile AR experiences for organizations. The Epson Moverio BT-300 will be available in late 2016 and may be pre-ordered at Epson.com/Moverio. For a complete product overview of the Moverio BT-300, please visit the following link. 

NGRAIN Viewer for Android supports any Android device with a minimum API Level 15 (Android 4.0.3). Tools are available to convert existing 3D assets with virtually every major 3D CAD/DCC format including Inventor, CATIA, Parasolid, Pro/E, Rhino, SolidWorks, STEP, DXF, OBJ, DWH, STL, and more, for use with NGRAIN Producer Pro and the NGRAIN Viewer for Android.

The NGRAIN Viewer for Android is free for download via the NGRAIN Web site. For more information on NGRAIN and its products, please visit www.ngrain.com.

About NGRAIN

NGRAIN is the developer of innovative, interactive 3D applications that support industrial activities such as inspection, maintenance, and training. Leading organizations from aerospace, defense, energy, manufacturing, and healthcare in 27 countries around the world use NGRAIN’s patented technology today, transforming the way they work in the field.

About Epson

Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to connecting people, things and information with its original efficient, compact and precision technologies. With a lineup that ranges from inkjet printers and digital printing systems to 3LCD projectors, smart glasses, sensing systems and industrial robots, the company is focused on driving innovations and exceeding customer expectations in inkjet, visual communications, wearables and robotics.

Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the Epson Group comprises more than 67,000  employees in 90 companies around the world, and is proud of its contributions to the communities in which it operates and its ongoing efforts to reduce environmental impacts.

Epson America, Inc., based in Long Beach, Calif., is Epson’s regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: epson.com. You may also connect with Epson America on Facebook (facebook.com/Epson), Twitter (twitter.com/EpsonAmerica), YouTube (youtube.com/EpsonAmerica), and Instagram (instagram.com/EpsonAmerica).

Thank you for taking the time to read our wearable technology blog post.  Eyewear can be functional as well as fashionable.  We hope that you have found this news to be informative. If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.

Cintas Joins Google on Project Jacquard

Have you heard that Cintas is collaborating with Google on the Project Jacquard smart garment Technology?

 

Cintas Corporation on June 16, 2016 announced a joint collaboration with Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects Group (ATAP) to explore advancing Project Jacquard into the enterprise space.  Jacquard is a smart garment technology developed by Google’s ATAP team, which enables conductive fibers to be woven into textiles, connecting interactive apparel wirelessly to devices, software platforms, and cloud services.  ATAP presented advancements in the technology at Google’s recent developers conference, Google I/O. Cintas and ATAP are collaborating to advance use cases in work environments, with the goal of developing Jacquard-enhanced uniforms.

“The Jacquard platform provides new possibilities to interact with services, devices, and environments directly from the garment, literally from the cuff of your sleeve. This could greatly impact and benefit the healthcare industry in meaningful ways, for patients and practitioners, as well as provide solutions in numerous other fields,” said Ivan Poupyrev, Google ATAP Technical Project Lead for Project Jacquard.  “We look forward to exploring and developing potential applications for Jacquard with Cintas, a key partner for enterprise solutions.”

The initiative will seek to deliver solutions that address various challenges in multiple enterprise verticals, with an initial focus on healthcare and safety applications.

“Cintas is excited to collaborate with Google ATAP in developing use cases in work environments for Jacquard’s textile technology.  Together, we are developing use cases in the healthcare vertical in cooperation with a number of leading hospitals,” said Paul Jantsch, Cintas Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Development.  “We see many applications for the technology to impact productivity, compliance, health and safety, not only in healthcare, but in virtually all industries. Cintas is committed to helping our customers get Ready for the Workday™ by providing innovative products and caring service.”

Learn more about Google fabrics smart fabrics and Project Jacquard here on the Fashion Blog.

About Cintas:

Cintas Corporation helps more than 900,000 businesses of all types and sizes get Ready™ to open their doors with confidence every day by providing a wide range of products and services that enhance our customers’ image and help keep their facilities and employees clean, safe and looking their best. With products and services including uniforms, floor care, restroom supplies, first aid and safety products, fire extinguishers and testing, and safety and compliance training, Cintas helps customers get Ready for the Workday™. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Cintas is a publicly held company traded over the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol CTAS and is a component of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index. 

Thank you for taking the time to read our fashion blog post. 

By the way, we agree with you that Google should consult with Apparel Search regarding any questions that they may have regarding clothing or the garment industry.

We hope that you have found this news to be informative. If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.

Top Shop Wearable Tech for Payments

Top Shop pushes forward with stylish wearable tech. Touch-and-go with contactless accessories, a more stylish and easy way to pay.  Top Shop has collaborated with bPay on a collection of bespoke accessories that link to most debit and credit cards, so you can be ready to shop with just a touch.

Choose from colourful wristbands, graphic keychains, stickers and a vivid smartphone case to bring some wearable tech to your look.

Payment functionality subject to application and acceptance of T&Cs.  bPay chip is valid for a minimum of two years after purchase. Once the chip expires you will need to buy a new bPay device to carry on using your account.

Welcome to the contactless world of bPay - giving you choice of how you pay and making buying fun, fast and secure.  At the heart of it is a pre-paid account that links to most major credit or debit cards and can be used with any bPay device.

Note: the image above is an example of bPay by Barclay payment system.  We are not sure what the Top Shop version looks like.  It may be the same or different.  We are really not sure at this time.

Barclaycard is a trading name of Barclays Bank PLC.

Learn about bPay Mobile.

adidas miCoach Fitness Watches & Trackers

Fitness watches come if various varieties.  Fitbit has become very popular, but that brand is not the only choice.  If you are in the market for a fitness device for your wrist, you may want to also learn about the devices below.  Obviously, fitness apparel is the best way to look great, but fitness accessories such as watches and trackers are also helpful.

Micoach SMART RUN Watch

Slip it on and step it up.  The miCoach SMART RUN watch delivers an advanced, intuitive blend of coaching and performance data designed to help serious runners maximize training every time you lace up your shoes.  Clean and simple, it delivers a strapless continuous heart rate, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, wireless music player, WLAN and a color touch screen.

Real-time cardio coaching with miCoach training plans created by elite coaches; Animated strength and flexibility training; Customizable training data screens; Workout review; Watch and timer function; 4GB memory for music and data

Coaching with music: up to 4 hours battery life; Marathon mode without music: up to 8 hours battery life (usage times vary depending on user settings and usage environments)

Fully integrated strap-free heart-rate sensor; GPS-based speed, distance, stride rate and route; Single-button user interaction

Display: 1.45" full color transflective TFT LCD, 184px x 184px touch screen; Battery: 410mAh lithium ion, charging time max 4 hrs

Invisible sync to miCoach.com for automatic updates; miCoach SMART RUN requires Internet access over wifi

Materials: Soft touch silicone strap, stainless steel bezel, buckle and detailing, magnesium backplate; Weight: 2.8 ounces

Learn more about the miCoach Smart Run Watch. 

Video: https://youtu.be/goALXKi_IY0

miCoach Fit Smart Watch

All-day activity: Set goals and track steps, calories and distance; Measure and check your heart rate from your wrist

Meet your new fitness companion. With the miCoach® Fit Smart watch, you’ll never miss a beat, or a step. You can track your activity all day, and when you’re ready to work up a sweat, fire up the built-in heart-rate monitor to get in the zone. Fit Smart technology continuously measures the heart rate from the wrist, with no chest strap required. The watch provides simple-to-understand visual guidance for workout intensity and calorie burn to keep you on track, motivated and training more effectively. Features a built-in accelerometer to track speed, pace, distance and stride rate for walking, jogging and running. Sync your data using Bluetooth® Smart on your smartphone.  The adidas miCoach® Train and Run app lets you see your progress and enjoy access to hundreds of training plans created by the elite coaches at EXOS.

Record workout time, heart rate, calories, pace, distance and stride rate; Add GPS tracking using your smartphone

Train smart with guidance and personalized training plans to help you work out at the right intensity

Simple synchronization with miCoach® Train and Run app for iOS, Android and Windows 10 using Bluetooth® 4.0 (Bluetooth® Smart), 2.4GHz

Data memory: Up to 10 hours of workout data; Battery: 200 mAh lithium ion, 3-hour charging time

Soft-touch silicone strap; Dimensions: 1.5" x .5" x 8"

Note: In order to activate, use and update this product, a PC or Mac, an Internet connection via WiFi and a miCoach user account are required.  In addition, the acceptance of the Legal & Privacy Terms and Warranty Information is required.

Learn more about adidas miCoach accessories.

If you would like to learn about other smart watches and fitness trackers you may want to also review product from other companies.  Below may offer you some guidance for learn more about fitness trackers:

Fitbit Blaze A fitness watch that’s as stylish as it is smart.

Fitbit Charge HR - The power of heart rate on your wrist.

Garmin Vivosmart HR - Walk. Run. Bike. Swim. Golf. Climb. Skip. Jump. Go.
Meet the wearables that help you move a little more each day. Learn about the new vívofit® 3 Activity Tracker with Automatic Activity Detection. Whether you’re walking around the office or going for a jog, vívofit 3 can automatically detect your activity using Garmin Move IQ™ and display it on Garmin Connect™. Wear it comfortably 24/7 to monitor sleep and count steps. Even get reminded to move after an hour of inactivity, with the red move bar. It’s water resistant, has a 1-year battery life and can be dressed up with the interchangeable Style Collection bands, to suit every moment of your active lifestyle. If you want at a lower cost, maybe look at the Garmin Vivofit 2.

Garmin Forerunner 225

Jawbone UP2 - A dashboard of your activities isn't enough. That's why we created Smart Coach. Our exclusive intelligence engine that turns raw data into your personal fitness advisor. No pain. All gain.  They also have a Jawbone UP3 and Jawbone UP4.

Misfit Shine 2 - Thinner, stronger, and smarter, Misfit Shine 2 is our most advanced wearable. Shine 2 seamlessly tracks activity and sleep and delivers sophisticated information effortlessly and vibrantly with multicolor LEDs and a vibration motor. See your progress in a halo of rainbow-colored lights, or let Misfit Move encourage you to get active with a vibrational nudge and unique light animation. Get text and call notifications on your Shine 2 or connect Shine 2 with Misfit Link to control your world—play music, take a selfie, or interact with variety of internet services and smart home devices.

Under Armour Band - Your UA Band measures sleep, resting heart rate, steps, and even workout intensity when worn with UA Heart Rate.  Wear it all the time. Water-resistant fitness tracker so you can wear it all the time.

Microsoft Band 2 - For people who want to live healthier and achieve more there is Microsoft Band. Reach your health and fitness goals by tracking your heart rate, exercise, calorie burn, and sleep quality, and be productive with email, text, and calendar alerts on your wrist.

Moov Now (also for swimming) - MOOV NOW™ is ready to work out whenever you are.  Advanced fitness wearable for boxing, running, cycling, and swimming.

Garmin Vivoactive - Ultra-thin GPS smartwatch with a sunlight-readable, high-resolution color touchscreen.

Mondaine Helvetica No.1 Smart

Samsung Gear Fit - The Gear Fit was designed to wear not only while you’re working out, but for whatever situation you’re in, day or night. Its curved display contours comfortably to your wrist, while interchangeable bands provide you with multiple color options.

Apple Watch - Instantly receive and respond to your favorite notifications. Get the motivation you need to stay active and healthy. Express your personal style in a whole new way. From the way it works to the way it looks, Apple Watch isn’t just something you wear. It’s an essential part of who you are.

Polar A360 - This waterproof fitness tracker is the first to have both a wrist-based heart rate monitor and Polar personalized training guidance, as well 24/7 activity tracking. It even has smartwatch features like smart notifications and a color touchscreen.

Learn more about fitness trackers & smart watches here on Apparel Search.

You may want to read the best fitness trackers 2016 article and the best smart watch roundup from wearable.com as well.  Also, be sure to read the CNET Best Fitness Tracker review.  PC Magazine also has a best fitness tracker article to research.

Honestly, there are almost too many choices.  It is hard to pick a favorite.  Do you have a favorite fitness watch?  Share your reviews, comments, and suggestions in the discussion area below.  By the way, what is the difference between a fitness watch and a fitness tracker?  I guess one tells time and one does not.

Thank you for taking the time to read our fashion blog post. We hope that you have found this news to be informative. If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.

Smart Fabric for Smarter Clothing

How smart is smart fabric?  Pretty darn smart… and getting more intelligent every single day.  Truth be told, we are surprised how clever textiles and apparel has become.  We are entering the realm of science fiction.

Smart fabrics and wearable technology are getting smarter every day.  It is amazing how the field has grown over the past several years.  Possibly when these special fabrics started to be developed they had been thought about as fads.  However, they are clearly becoming more and more main stream as time passes.  Fashion designers and clothing companies in general see the benefits of creating garments with these specialized fabrications.  Both traditional textile mills and technology companies are joining forces to develop mind boggling inventions.  Today’s priorities have gone far beyond the desire for wicking, and anti-bacterial properties.  Now we have moved into fabrics with electronics that work side by side with fashion apps, healthcare, space travel (alien clothing), and beyond.

There are quite a few notable designers and companies that have jumped on the smart textile bandwagon who are doing some pretty amazing and innovative things in this space.  Here are only a few of the examples:

Grado Zero Espace is an Italian based company who is doing some amazing things with textile technology and product design.  Grado Zero Espace is able to perform demonstration and prototyping activities in the field of technical fabrics design, including the development of complex textile structures, as well as the study of physical-mechanical behaviors. Thanks to the support of specific geometric textile modelling software package in combination with software for the analysis of thermal, mechanical and engineering properties, they are able to improve the possibilities to produce and test several new textile configurations, joining together their expertise the textile field and in the engineering.  GZE is able to provide the development of wearable technology systems consisting in the integration of smart sensors for monitoring vital-functions, conductive textile for data acquisition and transmission, thermal regulating systems, electroluminescent devices and other new functionalities.  Thermo-active alloys or polymers and high performance fibres or smart coating with innovative added properties.  The experimental activity includes the development of eco-friendly fabrics using natural fibres such as cypress, peat, kapok, nettle, spider-web and processes following eco-compatibility's parameters. 

AIQ Smart Clothing: AiQ Smart Clothing Inc. is where electronics merge with textiles to create fashionable, functional, comfortable solutions to meet your everyday needs; whether it’s in sports & fitness, outdoor & leisure, home & leisure, home care & health care.  They have the drive and capability to make Smart Clothing concepts into reality.  AiQ Smart Clothing Inc. plays a crucial role within the Smart Clothing supply chain by offering a complete and vertical integration of functional and fashionable technologies.  They excel in the textile incorporation of technology by combining and installing multiple key components from King’s Metal Fiber Technologies, one of Tex-Ray subsidiaries, and the specialize in developing wearable systems that are fully compatible with their downstream manufacturer and parent company, Tex-Ray.  In 2009, the idea of joining textiles and electronics became a reality with the beginning of the AiQ Smart Clothing project that was born as a department of Tex-Ray. For years we have been setting the standards in the Smart Clothing industry and, in 2012, AiQ Smart Clothing Inc. emerged as a subsidiary company. Based in Taiwan and with years of industry know-how, AiQ Smart Clothing Inc. is an ideal partner for wearable technology solutions.

Ying Gao, a fashion designer based in Geneva is creating clothing that combines urban design, architecture and multimedia, and uses sensory technologies to make garments more interactive.   Ying Gao is a university professor as well as a fashion designer.  Her work testifies to the profound mutation of the world in which we live and carries with it a radical critical dimension that transcends technological experimentation.  Ying Gao has achieved personal distinction through her numerous creative projects: five solo exhibitions in Switzerland and Canada (Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, Textile Museum of Canada…) and participation in around fifty group exhibitions around the world (MAK Vienna, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen Rotterdam, Design Museum Holon…). Her varied creative work has enjoyed international media coverage: over 350 press articles and media appearances (Time, METAL, Vogue, Dazed, Interni, Radio Canada, TV5… ).   She explores the construction of the garment, taking her.  Recognized worldwide, her designs are frequently shown in museums and galleries. Design is the medium, situated in the technological rather than in the textile realm : sensory technologies allow garments to become more playful and interactive. Ying Gao explores both the status of the individual, whose physical contours are transformed by external interferences, and the garment’s function as a fragile protective space.

CuteCircuit, Internationally-known fashion house, CuteCircuit, has been pushing the boundaries of wearable technology since its launch in 2004.  A global leader in interactive fashion, CuteCircuit has introduced many ground-breaking ideas to the fashion world by integrating new beauty and functionality through the use of smart textiles and micro-electronics.  CuteCircuit, a London based design duo is taking their smart textiles and technology to the runway, as they showed a collection at New York Fashion Week where the models controlled what their dresses looked like on the runway through their mobile phones. 

BioCouture who is focused on bringing living and bio-based materials to fashion, sportswear and luxury brands.   BioCouture is literally growing clothes from microorganisms like cellulose, fungi and algae.  Suzanne Lee, Founder of Biocouture Ltd, is heading the world's first biodesign consultancy firm.

Above is only a few of the many exciting developments in the world of smart fabrics.  Learn more about smart fabrics in our fashion industry terms section.

You may also find interest in readying about the Google smart fabric project.

Read about Levi’s project jacquard and Google project jacquard on their websites.

Recent advances in technology have brought together the apparel, technology, and textile industries to develop new capabilities in fabrics with the potential to change how athletes, patients, soldiers, first responders, and everyday consumers interact with their clothes and other textile products.  Combining garment manufacturing techniques with science and technology, the industry has significantly expanded the realm of possibilities.

Known as ‘smart fabrics’, new high-tech textiles, footwear, and clothes have the capability accomplish many special applications.  Some products can interact with their user or environment, including by tracking and communicating data about their wearer or environment to other devices through embedded sensors and conductive yarns.  The applications for these new capabilities are broad with most smart fabric product development now seen in the fields of defense, fitness, health, and public safety.  But this is obviously just the beginning.  We are still in the infancy of the development stage.  As tech improves so will the textiles designed to utilize the benefits of technological advancement.

Reaching the market’s full potential will require overcoming not just technical challenges but also bridging differences in how these distinct industries approach product development as well as addressing various public policy issues.   To foster greater collaboration between the U.S. apparel, technology, and textile industries and to identify the public policies that could accelerate the design and manufacture of smart fabrics products by U.S. companies, the Department of Commerce in partnership with the Industrial Fabrics Association International hosted the Smart Fabrics Summit on Monday, April 11, 2016.  IFAI is a member-owned, member-driven trade association representing the global industrial fabrics industry.  They invest more than $8 million each year to advance the industry and support member companies.

You should also learn more about the WEAR Conference regarding smart fabrics and wearable tech.

If you are looking for basic dumb fabric, you can find plenty of textile mills here on Apparel Search.

Watch the TV series Continuum if you want to see super smart clothing.

Are you already familiar with the concept of super smart fabric and even smarter clothing?  If you know of any amazing innovations that we have not discussed above, please share your knowledge in the comments section of this article.

Thank you for taking the time to read our apparel industry blog post. We hope that you have found this news to be informative. 

If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.

Google and Levi’s to Discuss Project Jacquard Wear Conference

According to the agenda, on Tuesday May 24, 2016 there will be a Fireside Chat regarding “Google & Levi Strauss Project Jacquard” at the WEAR conference.  You can see the full agenda for the day at https://www.wearconferences.com/agenda/day-1

Project Jacquard makes it possible to weave touch and gesture interactivity into any textile using standard, industrial looms.  This is possible thanks to new conductive yarns, created in collaboration with our industrial partners.

Jacquard yarn structures combine thin, metallic alloys with natural and synthetic yarns like cotton, polyester, or silk, making the yarn strong enough to be woven on any industrial loom.

Jacquard yarns are indistinguishable from the traditional yarns that are used to produce fabrics today.

Captured touch and gesture data is wirelessly transmitted to mobile phones or other devices to control a wide range of functions, connecting the user to online services, apps, or phone features.

Learn more about Google’s Project Jacquard from our previous blog post on this subject.

Learn more about Smithers Apex WEAR Conference 2016.

By the way, we think it is a bit confusing that Google choose to use the word Jacquard which is already a term used in the textile & apparel industry.  We are actually sort of curious as to why they did not come up with a “new” term for their project.  They are sort of changing a long standing definition.  Maybe they should have consulted with Apparel Search before making such an important decision.  If you are interested, you can learn more about the jacquard loom in our definitions section.

WEAR Conference 2016: Smart Fabrics & Wearable Tech

Smithers Apex WEAR Conference 2016 is three full days of programming including interactive workshops, tours and visits to companies on the cutting edge, and commercial, technical and engaging presentations from the best and brightest in the smart fabrics, wearable technology, health tech and consumer experience fields.  The Agenda will feature multiple keynote presentations, tours, workshops, more than 10 plenary sessions and over 30 presentations in six tracks over 2 days, all related to the business of smart fabrics, wearable technology, and consumer experience.

WEAR 2016 proudly presents the following Keynote Speakers:

The Revolution Will be Digitized, presented by Theo Forbath, Global Vice President, Digital Transformation, at Cognizant Digital Works

1995-2016: What has Changed about Product Launch? presented by Jules Pieri, Co-Founder & CEO, The Grommet

On the Design of Bionic Leg Devices: The Science of Extreme Interface, presented by Prof. Hugh Herr, Associate Professor of Media Arts and Sciences, and the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, MIT Media Lab

What Can a Wristband Tell You about your Brain Health? presented by Prof. Dr. Rosalind Picard, Founder and Director of the Affective Computing Research Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab, Co-Founder and Chief Scientist of  Empatica, Inc, and Co-Founder of Affectiva, Inc.

This is an event that should not be missed.  Learn more about the Smithers Apex WEAR Conference and all the latest news from the world of smart fabrics and wearable tech at https://www.wearconferences.com/

Thank you for taking the time to read our fashion industry event blog post. We hope that you have found this news to be informative. By the way, if you have some extra time, it may be a good idea to read about smart fabrics in our textile industry terminology section.  If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.

Wearable Technology Giving Super Powers

Can wearable technology give ‘super powers’ to humans?

More than just a fad, wearable technology (WT) can change the way we work and give us ‘super powers’ – according to a new study in the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education.

Deepika Raj and Jung E Ha-Brookshire of the University of Missouri interviewed people employed in the WT industry – with its unique collaboration between apparel and technology specialists – to find out how creating the devices changed the way they worked. They also wanted to find out what the designers themselves thought of the items they were creating.

As Raj and Ha-Brookshire explain: “Despite the significance and popularity of WT in today’s market environment, little research has been done to understand what WT employees think about WT when developing new products. We also know little about the knowledge-creation processes that WT employees may go through to develop innovative WT products and specific work environments that are ideal for WT innovation.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the respondents were very positive about the benefits of WT. Replies like ‘it makes you do more with less’, ‘creates fun and meaningful solutions to everyday problems’ and ‘solves multiple problems’ were common.

The notion of WT giving people superpowers also cropped up repeatedly. “For the less-able bodied, [one of the respondents] believed WT could help them hear, see, or speak better. For able-bodied people … WT could help them do things they could not do before,” the authors note. “In both cases, WT gave a sort of superpower to human beings.”

The workers were also clear on what made good WT: it had to be easy to use, ‘fit the curve of the body’, improve connectivity with the outside world and, ideally, solve problems for the user.

Perhaps fittingly, working on WT also changed the way the WT specialists themselves worked. As good WT needs to draw on different knowledge bases, the workers found themselves collaborating more and understanding better both the terms and working practices of other disciplines. “New knowledge was created within WT firms through the process of socialisation by personal communications, internalisation and by trial and error,” the authors observe. And just as WT can empower its users, ‘innovation in WT firms seems to be possible by empowering the work force and giving them a productive atmosphere to foster creativity and collaborations.’

Certainly for the WT workers themselves, it would appear that WT can change lives in more ways than one.


* Read the full article online: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17543266.2015.1133720

How do they create ‘Superpower’? An exploration of knowledge-creation processes and work environments in the wearable technology industry
published by Taylor & Francis. 

About Taylor & Francis Group
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Taylor & Francis Group partners with researchers, scholarly societies, universities and libraries worldwide to bring knowledge to life.  As one of the world’s leading publishers of scholarly journals, books, ebooks and reference works our content spans all areas of Humanities, Social Sciences, Behavioural Sciences, Science, and Technology and Medicine. From their network of offices in Oxford, New York, Philadelphia, Boca Raton, Boston, Melbourne, Singapore, Beijing, Tokyo, Stockholm, New Delhi and Johannesburg, Taylor & Francis staff provide local expertise and support to our editors, societies and authors and tailored, efficient customer service to their library colleagues.

Thank you for taking the time to read this fashion technology blog post. We hope that you have found this news to be informative. If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.

Solar-Powered Smart Jackets by ThermalTech

ThermalTech is designed to capture the sun’s ultraviolet rays and energy from artificial light sources to convert and store as heat which increasing the in-clothing temperature by 18°F in approximately two minutes.  ThermalTech utilizes patented, lightweight energy absorbing technology.

They have been developing prototype jackets for several months and testing them extensively under various environmental conditions to produce the best quality products for you.

The stainless steel mesh fabric threads are strong yet lightweight, lending to extended lifetime use while reducing the weight that additional heat-storing materials bring to most outerwear.

They are embedding their ThermalTech smartfabric into collections for both men & women.  The men’s and women’s jacket collections will be designed to match your various environments, with each jacket coming in a variety of color patterns for a more customized feel.

Their Outdoor collection is perfect for those looking to get out and enjoy the beauty of nature, staying warm while you’re out camping or hiking into the evenings.

The Extreme collection is geared towards even colder settings and is perfect for skiing, snowboarding, or staying out in the snow longer.

Their Fashion collection aims to keep you looking good while getting around town, with the slimmer profile designed to maintain your body warmth while keeping down on bulk.

Thank you for taking the time to read our wearable technology blog post. We hope that you have found this news to be informative. If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.

TomorroWear 1st Wearable Tech Expo at The Reef

Silicon Beach startup District2.co, (fashion B2B ecosystem where brands & fashion designers can hire apparel manufacturers to produce their collections), is hosting the first WEARABLE TECH EXPO "TomorroWear"  at The Reef's hotspot Maker City LA. TomorroWear is an elite intimate event looking into the future- where fabric science, fashion, and wearable tech intertwine. Hosted at The Maker City Atelier on February 17, 2016,  District2.Co, alongside Heart Centered Tech, Manufacture LA, & Maker City are ready to illuminate the digital advances liberating humankind’s creativity and enjoyment while enhancing the social and economic development of fashion & tech. 

Preceding the “FutureWalk" runway presentation, title-sponsor Heart Centered Tech is presenting their Peer-to-Peer Award to Benjamin F. Kuo ,Founder, Editor, and Publisher of SoCalTech. SoCalTech is a high news tech and informational search engine in Southern California. The previous awardee, Eli Eisenberg will present the award. Eisenberg is a venture capitalist at Straight Line Management.
  
Heart Centered TECH Leadership Awards #HCTLA recognizes people within organizations who lead from the heart. The awards started as a way to acknowledge stand out individuals who take part in using technology to help make this world a better place. After 30 days, the recipients choose who is the next HCT award winner should be, making this the first Peer-to-Peer Awards Ceremony of its kind that was launched in the #LATECH #Siliconbeach community.
  
With virtual environments & training to immersive art and 3D simulations on the rise, the VR GALLERY is a blend of LA’s finest VR Experiences all in one place for an expression of what’s possible in VR today. There will be narrative film pieces to full on 3D full immersive games. Co-Host Game-School.com is a leader in providing VR education and has the best VR Gallery of talented artist experiences that are carving the way for content & simulations of the future.
  
Speak directly with exhibitors & inventors, you will have the chance to mingle with these master disruptors (with food & drink), gaze at their closing Wearable Tech Fashion Show, and if you're still amped then stay for the "NowSounds" close out show!
  
A super-secret Hollywood celebrity chef will be the night’s food of choice, and after FutureWalk, come have a night out on the town and party with these trendy creatives.
  
THE PURPOSE OF TOMORROWEAR:

Futurists, influencers, investors, fashion experts, wearable tech enthusiast, engineers, Los Angeles startups, innovative fabric mills, apparel manufacturers, and press/media will all be in attendance to witness fashion evolve in a way it has never been done before. They are digitizing the way physical electronics are operating and streamlining it into a natural necessity-- fashion, an industry as seasoned and established as spice trading (no pun intended).
    
TomorroWear is showcasing the tech gadgets in an event and they are hosting a slew of products such as smartwatches, virtual reality, pedometers, 3D printed dresses, etc TomorroWear is the only expo in LA available to market the next generation of inventors and designers. We are the mediators between art and commerce.

WHO THEY ARE EXHIBITING:

February 17 cannot come any sooner as brands from every different spectrum are coming to the expo. Here is a short list of brands they are showcasing in the 1st ever wearable tech LA event:
  
Activewear: Hollywood stuntwoman extraordinaire Natascha Hopkins’ Capo-Nata “The Lean Body.” The Lean Body is a built-in-one waist trimmer and sports bra.

Medical: The Stem Cell Bra by Leonhardt is the first ever bra UNDER EARLY STAGE DEVELOPMENT that is DESIGNED to increase breast size without any invasive surgery. 

American Made & Sustainable: Leopardet is the next generation Ralph Lauren brand that is proud to say it’s American made--- in both design, manufacture, and distribution, utilizing all organic fabrics.

Sustainable Clothing: Sun & Seeds’ clothing incorporates the natural elements of the Earth (dirt and plants) to the looks by using sustainable fabrics in the composition of the garments.

Diversity Science: Beautiful Liberation and B. Black labels are the first brands to ever capitalize on the diversity of female bodies by scientifically creating the patented golden standards for sizing based on body types.  

Recycled Threads & Precious Metals: Tambonita aims to make a beautiful, unique, handmade accessory and an eco-sustainable product. Tambonita has an original style that is exclusive in how it’s made. Hand woven and assembled with care, each product is individual, and represents the person wearing or carrying it. 

3D Printing and Optical Illusion Design: ShapeShifterZ® is an athletic clothing brand founded in Santa Monica, California. They create goods for athletes that want to enhance the competitive experience, express an inner confidence and outright sense of humor, yet match the demands of modern fitness.  

Measure-by-Measure scanning: Left Shoe Company helps the customer pull on a pair of geometrically patterned socks and steps on a 3D scanner that analyses and measures both feet from every possible angle. A highly accurate 360° digital model of the feet is created. Once scanned, the customer can choose from a wide variety of designs, leathers and soles to create a unique shoe, knowing that each pair will be made with the best possible fit, specifically for him.  

They are also hosting 3d printers and virtual reality games at the event. The designers will have a chance to exhibit and drive the runway show. Hollywood stylist and event coordinating extraordinaire Parris Harris is on board with his gorgeous models at the FutureWalk.

The event is on Wednesday, February 17, 2016 from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM at The REEF - 11th Floor Atelier - 1933 South Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90007. For tix & information: tomorrowear.eventbrite.com

Thank you for taking the time to read our fashion blog post. We hope that you have found this news to be informative. If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.