FashionWare CES 2012 Roundup

An interview by the wearables start-up research group SF FASHION+TECH with Kristin Neidlinger from SENSOREE  about the recent FashionWare Show at CES 2012 in which she participated, outlines the emergent trends in wearables from functionality to aesthetics.

Highlighted are Alasdair Leighton’s “Freescape Cycle Jacket”, winner of a Sony Ericsson competition run through the LiveView Design Project in the UK. It looks at first glance to be a very a similar itteration of Leah Buechley  DIY LilyPad Arduino “Turn SIgnal Jacket“. It will be interesting to see is this is taken to maket and what changes or tranformations occur.

Neidlinger’s own “GER Mood Sweater” and “Furver Fo.Corset” pieces incorporating elements of bio-metrics response sensors were also showcased. “GER”, or Galvanized Extimacy Responder, displays the “emotions” of the wearer through a galvanic skin response sensor, affecting a corresponsing color display embedded in the collar. While “Furver” is inspired by sea anemones and porcupines and utilizes interactive fiber optic “fur” tendrils placed of on the back of the neck which are activated through proximity sensors. Neidlinger’s research is guided by sensorial capture and interpretation, and she straddles the science/art devide in her designs quite elegantly.

Moon Berlin who collaborates with the Fraunhofer Institutes‘s research spin-off company Stretchable Circuits with their sophisticated and market-ready wears were also featured in FashionWare. I’ve been a long fan of Moon Berlin since I met them in Berlin in 2010 and it’s been a pleasure to see them conquer a market which was ready for new challenges – the small couture label. Their limited palette of luxury materials (greys, taupe, silver) combined with the exclusive exploration of light in fabric have been a wining combination so far.

And finally, 3lectromode’s dresses were also mentionned in the interview as we has been a part of the show!

I look forward to reading more about fashion tech developments on both SF FASHION+TECH and Kristin Neidlinger SENSOREE blogs!