From wearables to 3D printed shoes and dresses at this year’s CES, technology and fashion are two forces whose paths have been crossing pretty frequently lately. It is only natural that this fusion gets a formal acknowledgement as Met Gala 2016 gears itself to bring technology and fashion together aptly naming its fashion event this year -“Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology”.
When we say technology one of the first few names to pop up in our heads includes Apple. Consequently, it’s no big surprise the Cupertino based tech giant is partners with the Costume Institute for the this year’s Met Gala fashion event.
Andrew Bolton, who is the curator for the Institute describes the event as “unraveling the hand-machine conundrum”, which refers to the chasm between hand-made and machine-made fashion.
Issey Miyake’s “Flying Saucer” ,dress unveiled in 1994, was made entirely using machine sewing -indicating a clear presence of technology in fashion.
Therefore the event aims to bridge the gap between technology and fashion -no more seen as opposing forces. The two are brought together in a celebration of the successes of both fashion as well as the technology.
Pieces from Chanel and Christian Dior would be part of the collection.The line-up would draw inspiration from Fritz Lang’s sci-fi masterpiece Metropolis, and automobiles and electronics in its design and essence.
Smart rings are the latest fad in both tech as well as the fashion world. You may love them, you may hate them but you sure can’t ignore them. These little pieces of jewellery (or technology?) can be used to send basic commands on smartphones, receive notifications of calls and texts, and connect to other devices using Bluetoooth. Having said that, let’s take a look at what we have been offered by way of smart rings so far.
MOTA DOI SmartRing
Capable of being paired with your Android or iOS device, this smart-ring would notify the user of emails, calls and messages. Depending on the usage, the company claims its smart-ring is capable of lasting 24 to 72 hours with a single charge and can be charged with a wireless charging source. The ring is available in “two majestic colours” – read: black and white. Priced at $200, MOTA can be pre-ordered here. It will be available starting April 2016.
Ringly
This is a smart-ring for the fashion-conscious techie. The ring has no external signs of being a gadget and it can very easily pass for an innocent piece of jewellery. But look closer and think again for this offering by Ringly is capable of notifying you of messages, social media updates and reminders of fitness and parenting apps. There is an entire range of different styles and designs offered by the company for the user to choose from. Pricing starts from $195 and the rings can be purchased here.
NFC Ring 2016
A crowd-funded Kickstarter project, NFC ring can be “used to unlock doors, mobile phones, transfer information and link people”. It comes in many options and variantsvto suit individual preferences. The ring is waterproof for up to 50m and it never requires charging. No, we did not make a typo -no charging ever. Pricing for NFC rings start at $29 and they can be purchased here.
Smarty Ring
Started as an Indiegogo crowd-funded project, Smarty Ring never made it to the market. Though things are quite unclear about its current status, this truly is one of the coolest concepts for a smart ring. The Smarty Ring is a chic, little gadget that aims to fulfill all functions of a smartwatch. The ring according to the concept was capable of supporting Bluetooth along with a battery that would last up to 24 hours. Even though the project reached its budget goals in December 2013, we have still have no news of its shipping. Fingers crossed until we get another update on this front.
Pulse Ring
This one doesn’t win a lot of points on style, or even utility, but it’s simply here for old time’s sake. One look at the ring means a trip down the memory lane -with its retro touch and feel, the ring is a reminder of a time when things were simpler in the tech circuit. Pulse Ring is capable of tracking your pulse, telling the time and playing grandparent to the smart-rings of today. The ring is priced at £22.99 on Amazon.co.uk.
What happens when fashion meets technology? Awesome things, yes that’s what happens. ShiftWear has introduced sneakers with fitted app-controlled screens, and things only get better and better from there.
The design of the shoes can be controlled by a smartphone app that lets the wearer decide from a bunch of ideas depending on their whim and fancy. From basic geometric patterns to complex art designs -any of these can be sported on the shoes using the app and the screen on the shoes. Van Gogh paintings or your favourite Manga character -match your footwear to your mood, and of course, the rest of the outfit if you so desire.
The tagline of the product is: “The most adaptable shoes you’ll ever own, customized straight from your smartphone.”
It doesn’t end there -these sneakers are waterproof and can be machine-washed as well.They run on self-charging, eco-friendly batteries that get charged with every step the wearer takes. Check the snazzy video below to get a better idea of this latest 21st century contraption.
ShiftWear is a new company testing the waters with this innovative idea and trying to raise funds for their project using Indiegogo. If you want to get yourself a pair, prepared to shell out a $150 (close to Rs. 10,000). Would you be willing to invest in a product like these app-controlled sneakers for the love of fashion and technology?
Just when we thought Back to the Future Day couldn’t get any better after the new Hendo Hoverboard news, we find out that Nike has done the impossible! The shoemaking giant has lived up to its name and has finally made the Back to the Future’s self-lacing shoes a reality.
The company had been teasing something big on Twitter a few days ago that got fans all excited. You would be too if you read this tweet.
The tweet was for Micheal J, Fox, who played Marty McFly in Back to the Future. As you all must be knowing by now that October 21, 2015 was celebrated as Back to the Future Day around the world. This is because this is the date to which Marty and Doc Brown travel to in 1989’s Back to the Future II. In the film’s version of 2015, Marty gets a pair of self-lacing Nike Mags sneakers, among other futuristic toys. And yes, they were the coolest kicks in 2015.
On Thursday, Nike made the ‘future’ happen by launching the self-tying shoes in the best way possible: by having Micheal J. Fox try out the first pair. And it was a beautiful sight to see.
Micheal J. Fox was as excited as anyone else about how the ‘future’ has finally arrived, and expressed his joy on Twitter.
The company announced a possible 2016 release for the shoes. The announcement also mentions that the shoes are limited edition models at the present and will first be sold via auction with all the proceeds going to the Michael J. Foundation for Parkinson’s Research some time next year.
“By imagining the future, we create it,” reads the statement from Nike. “Product that comes alive, with on-demand comfort and support when you need, product that senses you and adapts to you is right around the corner.”
Laces on Nike MAG tighten when person slips on shoes, also manually adjustable pic.twitter.com/1l3I9gokGm
It might be a while before these sneakers hit the market, but right now we can simply take pleasure in seeing that the McFly shoes are now a real thing. This is the future, and it looks really good.
‘Tech Wear’ is a relatively new concept that perhaps began with the introduction and launch of the Google Glass on April 4, 2012. There was a huge frenzy about the Google Glass and the things it promised its wearer – such as direct visual access to friends, schedules and Internet. But Google Glass did not work. Why? What makes products like Google Glass, the Neptune Pine, the Pebble, fitness trackers and other technological wearables not popular enough to cater to the taste of the general public?
Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz
Firstly, these are luxury products. They cater to the needs of the general public but make themselves available to only a certain strata of society. For example, the Apple Watch is created in order to make interaction simpler and intimate. One doesn’t have to constantly be on their phones in order to check the time, reply to emails, take calls, respond to text messages etc, instead all these activities can be completed by a few glances and voice notes. Here is the catch, you have to have an iPhone (or any product by Apple) too so that all the information from your device can get synced to this new iWatch.
To get an idea of the approximate amount of money we might have to spend to buy an iWatch and support it, let us look at its INR value. The Apple Watch Sport Edition: Expected price tag in India for 38mm case model is Rs. 25000 and for the 42mm case model is Rs. 30000, plus the other Apple product to support it, for example an iPhone 6 (Silver 16GB) which is Rs.42,920 (on Ebay). The total amount would be Rs. 67,920. The prices differ in different countries and the accessibility of the product also differs, but to the average Indian, an iPhone update makes no serious change to his lifestyle.
Secondly, even with a large portion of the world being able to afford tech wear, they are still looked at sceptically or cautiously by investors. Why? What makes a product stable in the market? The necessity of a product. Although, further research shows a changing trend in the demands of the consumers. Fashion experts say that most of these products look ugly, in fact, the New York Times even tagged them as ‘ugly tech’ instead of ‘wearable tech’.
The consumer’s taste is now much more sophisticated than it used to be, he/she is not going to wear anything on his wrist that looks like a mini Kindle. And this is where Apple comes in with its slick and fashionably created Apple Watch. The ‘iWatch’ comes in various belts, both leather and metal, and is styled in a way that is appealing to all. Perhaps following suit are smaller fashion-focused tech companies, with a handful of partnerships between tech companies and big-name fashion brands.
So far, the investors and critics were skeptic of these wearable products, but now with the coming of the fashionable and efficient iWatch, their predictions have changed. Gene Munster, managing director and senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray, predicted a 3 million dollars’ worth Apple Watch sale on 9to5mac.com, and thinks that 2017 will be the device’s ‘breakout’ year. What changed?
The reviews for the Apple Watch have been somewhat stable; most of the critics encourage the use of this wearable technology that is more compact, fashionable, efficient, modern, and advanced in its settings and features. For example, the product description states that the custom-designed chip at the heart of the Apple Watch is encapsulated in the resin to protect the electronics from the elements, impact and wear. Configuring an entire computer system on a single chip is an industry first; settings like these and many others make the Apple Watch user friendly. Although despite this commendable attempt by Apple, critics still suggest that there is room for improvement as far as speed, efficiency and battery life are concerned but that these are problems that can be rectified by perhaps an iWatch 2.
Similarly, The New York Times states that earlier this year Fitbit announced a partnership with the designer Tory Burch to make fitness trackers stuffed inside a hinged bracelet and pendant necklace. Google Glass has partnered with DVF and Luxoticca to make the geeky specs, stylish. Rebecca Minkoff and Case-Mate announced a new line of techie jewellery, including a gold bracelet that pairs with a smartphone. Intel has also partnered with Barney’s New York and Open Ceremony to create a bracelet with a curved sapphire screen and built-in wireless radios called the MICA (My Intelligent Communication Accessory.)
Image source: New York Times
As far as reviews are to be trusted, they give us a realistic take on the new influx of wearable technology and its appeal. What has changed therefore, is the taste of the consumer and now that modern technology is being able to steadily cater to it, wearable technology might actually carve a stable niche for itself in the years to come.
