Introduction SS 2006Fashionable Technology

Mag. Sabine Seymour, MPS

fashionable technology

Fashionable Technology investigates the relationship between technology, design & fashion, and materials & textiles in a theoretical and practical framework. It involves a discourse on the next generation wearables, its history, its evolution, and its present state. 

A project focusing on textiles, wearables & technology will be developed. Students will participate in the entire design process from concept to completion. Through this process, students will gain understanding of the challenges and possibilities of designing technologies for the body. A contextual analysis will reveal and define the purpose of future scenarios in research or products/projects.

The culmination of the class is the creation of a proof of concept prototype that incorporates functionality, practicality, and aesthetic appeal with a parallel understanding of embedded systems design, smart textiles and materials, networked environments, and alternative energy.

paper ideas

“New technologies and new philosophical concepts have converted what was once wishful thinking and referred to disparagingly as ‘paper ideas’ into a world suddenly full of exciting architectural forms.”

Andreas & Alexandra Papdakis

(Innovation - from experiment to realisation)

function

“All clothes have social, psychological and physical functions.”

Andrew Bolton

(The Supermodern Wardrobe)

aesthetics

“A branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste and with the creation and appreciation of beauty.”

Webster Dictionary

the epidermis as metaphor

"...the electric age ushers us into a world in which we live and breathe and listen with the entire epidermis."

Marshall McLuhan

Alexander McQueen

the epidermis as metaphor

“I had achieved heteroconsciousness, that is to say, an epidermic self-awareness.”Umberto Eco (Travels in Hyperreality)

Ernest Sewn Jeans

Ernest Sewn Jeans

fantasy amplifiers

"The only new work you can do in fashion is via technology. It lets you create something you couldn't have done in the past."

Hussein Chalayan

Hussein Chalayan

wearable computing

"A wearable computer is a computer that is subsumed into the personal space of the user, controlled by the user, and has both operational and interactional constancy, i.e. is always on and always accessible. "

Steve Mann

affective wearables

"Wearables are computational devices that are worn as an article of clothing or jewelry. ... An affective wearable is a wearable system equipped with sensors and tools that enables recognition of its wearer's affective patterns."

Rosalind Picard

Phillips

body integration

Handheld < Wearable < Embedded I.e. cell phone I.e. jacket I.e. tattoo

Little integration Some integration Full integration

Nokia 8800 Burton Audex

body integration

The degree of body integration is determined by (selected list):

Degree of IntimacyPersonal preferenceFunctionality (I.e. sensors)

Context of useHow, When, Who, Why, What

contextual relationships

Expressive Functional

Computational Non-Computational

design for wearability

"A product that is wearable should have wearability. Wearability is defined as the interaction between the human body and the wearable object. Dynamic wearability extends that definition to include the human body in motion. "

Francine Gemperle

transformables & functionals

Refuge Wear [Lucy Orta]

A response to situations of human distress and unsuitable social environments

Temporary shelters that transformed into items of clothing and transport bags

Generic term Body Architecture

Jacket/Armchair [CP Company]

Polyurethane inflatable jacket

Air compressor

Waterproof, magnet buttons

Round Circuitboard Necklaces [Alcorn Studio]

Made by Alcorn Studio from recycled printed circuitboards, these are the ultimate in cooool! Each pendant is made from 100% recylced motherboard from old computers and the adjustable necklace is made from a vege-friendly cord.

clothing as container

ICD+ [Levis]

Philips/Levis collaboration

integrated technology

Various projectssolar

BognerScott Solar SeV

Voltaic Messenger

Soldius golf bags Sundance SolarO’Neill SolarBackpack

Adidas 1 [Adidas]mechanics

Individual cushioning

Lumiloop [Elise Co & Nikita Pashenkov] physical

Lumiloop is a modular system of program and display panels that can be chained together to form a reactive bracelet. Each display module features a small 8x8 LED matrix, dynamically driven by an interchangeable program module. The program modules holds different display programs and include varying sensors for the bracelet to respond to. A program module with an accelerometer interprets gestural motions of the wrist and generates illuminated patterns in response.

SonicFabric [Alyce Santoro] function of textile

Smart Second Skin [Jenny Tillotson] scent

A micro pump is integrated within the design which represents the heart, micro tubes represent the veins and arteries and various biosensors mimic the senses to create a new interactive fabric communication system in clothing.

Fragrances are actively'pulsed' electronically through a micro cabling system in the fabric web. The fabric emits a selection of scents to create novel olfactory experiences.

Fashion Victims [Ivrea] thermochromic ink

Students: Davide Agnelli, Dario Buzzini, Tal Drori

If you come near cell phone users or maybe a wireless network you will be warned about this electronic pollution by a pattern of mould that slowly spreads out all over your clothes.

The intensity and frequency of the electromagnetic radiation are reflected in the colour and density of the mould pattern soiling your shirt.

Fashionation. Mythos. Mode. Markt. [Celine Studer] fashion & technology

“The mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible.”

Oscar Wilde

Disolveable Intimate Apparel [Amanda Coleman] disolveable material

xxx

Love Of Race [Bonney Koh]kinetic energy

contact information

Mag. Sabine Seymour, MPSsabine@moondial.comwww.moondial.comwww.fashionabletechnology.org

Class website:www.fashionabletechnology.org/interface

Images:Individual students and researchers, designer, and companies listed