Digitally printed fashion

Mashallah Design and Linda Kostowski have created incredibly beautiful garments using an unfolding polygon method that is commonly used by industrial designers to explore dimensional forms through paper models. It's a terrific example of an innovative use of technology that directly informs the aesthetics of the garment. Here's how they describe the process:

"Three people are portrayed digitally by scanning their bodies. The output of this scan is a 3D file, which resolution is defined by the amount of polygons, similar to pixels in a bitmap. ... The 3D data is turned into 2D sewing patterns by the use of the unfolding function which is a common tool in the industrial design process to make paper models with, the single fabric pieces and the inner interface which defines the edges are cut out by the help of a lasercutter."

Source via Makezine.

Striking the perfect balance

Kathryn Bauer, a recent graduate of New York University's ITP program, presented a project for her master's thesis, titled Ovu, The project tracks and detects fertility easily and fashionably.

One of the many things that makes this implementation so beautiful is that she considered the form of the garment and its implied meaning for her concept. She could have just as easily implemented the idea using a leg or arm band to get it working as a proof of concept. Instead, she chose a garment that implies intimacy and sex, a perfect match for fertility tracking and its context. Kudos to Bauer for striking a perfect balance between concept, integrated intelligence, and garment connotation.

Anouk Wipprecht creates fashion using Lumalive

(image via industrialnation.nl)

Anouk Wipprecht from the Netherlands creates incredibly beautiful garments that will make you drool. Her recent work explores the uses of Lumalive. One of the many beautiful elements of her work is that she takes advantage of the implied gestures in her garments such as pulling a large collar up and over your head for protection or pulling it down around your shoulders for warmth.

What I like about this piece is that she uses these gestures as the interactions that reveal the display. But gestures aren't the only thing that should be considered, there is also context and mode. Imagine the mode a wearer is in when she adjusts the garment. She might be getting ready to go from one place to another when the garment is pulled around the shoulder or up around the head. How could a display help aid in this state? Or perhaps she is at her destination when she drapes it over her shoulders. How might this affect the response and output of the technology?

Illuminating textile madness

(image via Anke Loh)

There seems to be a lot of designers experimenting with fiber optics and Illuminating textiles. Anke Loh is one of my favorites. I love her unusual cuts, multi-layering technique, and her experimentation with technololgy. She had a show recently called Dressing Light, which showcased her explorations with fiber optics and Philip's lumalive technology.

Back in 2006, Suzanne Tick experimented with fiber optic-woven textiles. If you’ve ever worked with fiber optics, they can feel very plastic and stiff. She made her textiles appear to feel soft and flowy.

LumiGram created a line of fiber optic-infused garments called LumiTops aimed toward lounge and club-goers, on the market and available for purchase today.

Shape-shifting garments by Hussein Chalayan

Hussein Chalayan, one of my all-time favorite fashion designers, is constantly pushing the boundaries of what can be technologically integrated into his garments. His 2007 "A Hundred and Eleven" show in Paris ended with an incredible shape-shifting performance. Each garment told a story by starting with one era and morphing into another. Not only were the garments incredibly feminine and beautiful on the outside, Chalayan was able to seamlessly integrate the technology without compromising on aesthetics. Watch the end of this video for a demonstration: