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Fitbit Alta Public School New York City PSNY NYFW
Fashion, Wearable Technology

Fitbit Partnering With Public School On Line Of Accessories

February 18, 2016

Fitbit Alta Public School New York City PSNY NYFW

When Fitbit unveiled their new Alta fitness tracker a few weeks ago, it was clear that the company was beginning to take design and fashionability more seriously. Trading out the brand’s iconic rubber band featuring a barely noticeable screen, the Alta predominately features a monochrome touch screen which connects at either end to interchangeable bands. Even though the wearable ships with a rubber wrist band, you can purchase leather or metal bands. At NYFW, buzz worthy NYC fashion brand Public School New York included several “designed for the runway” Fitbit accessories among the looks walking the runway. All of the accessories were created by the designers specifically for the Alta. The idea was to show that tech doesn’t have to be this odd thing which is tacked on top of your outfit; wearables can be integrated into a seamless look for any occasion. Don’t camp out on the Fitbit or PSNY websites though waiting for these accessories to go on sale. Fitbit has stated that they were created specifically for NYFW to provide a feel of what the final products would be like when released later this year.  

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by Doug Parker
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Designer

Rebecca Minkoff Continues Tech Push At NYFW

September 14, 2015

Rebecca Minkoff Drone Watch Charging Wallet

Rebecca Minkoff continued their technology push at NYFW this week. Days after debuting last spring’s runway show in VR, the company announced and released a slew of iPhone and Apple Watch accessories and integrated drones into their fashion show. While not the first designer to make use of drones at a runway show (Fendi was last Fall in Milan), the company stressed using the drones was more than just a gimmick. According to Uri Minkoff, the brand’s CEO and co-founder, the company feels that technology such as drones represent the brand’s vision. Uri is looking forward to a world where pocket-size drones such as Nixie and Lily are common place, saying, “We wanted to incorporate drone technology into the show because the millennial woman is probably going to have her own drone in the next couple of years.” He continued, “In the next couple of years we’ll see the selfie stick go away and maybe we’ll all have personal drones.”

For those who like things a bit more tangible, Rebecca Minkoff has released the first designer Apple Watch bands. Unlike the Apple Watch Hermes, Rebecca Minkoff is selling the bands only (not requiring a Watch purchase) and they are available immediately for between $80 and $100. Also debuting is a line of iPhone wallets with built-in charging capability. The wallets are able to more than double your phone’s battery life and are rechargeable via micro-USB. They include a special case for your phone that allows it to easily slide and lock into place. Like the watch bands, the charging wallets are available immediately; they sell for $120 and are compatible with the upcoming iPhone 6S.

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by Doug Parker
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Fashion

Chromat’s Intel Powered Sports Bra Reacts To Your Body Temperature

September 14, 2015

CHROMAT Bra Dress NYFW

This weekend at New York Fashion Week, Chromat showed their vision of the future of fashion tech. While some brands are focused on LEDs and similar ways for wearers to express themselves, Chromat’s garments are designed to react to you and your environment. Powered by Intel’s new Curie chip, which was designed for wearables, Chromat showed off two fashion tech looks: a temperature adjusting sports bra and a dress that reacts to adrenaline. The sports bra is the more practical of the two. The Curie module inside the bra monitors perspiration, respiration, and body temperature. Based off of those readings, vents on the bra can open to provide more air to help your body better temperature regulate. Once your body’s temperature is controlled, the vents can close. The adrenaline reacting dress features a large 3D printed structure on the back, this structure can expand to become larger when the Curie module senses the wearer’s adrenaline levels rise. The concept is to physically mimic the body’s fight-or-flight instinct, in the same way animals will increase their stance when they are preparing to fight (think: a bear standing on its hind legs).

It is interesting to see how different designers are interpreting fashion tech. It illustrates how powerful technology can be in fashion, powering both design and increased functionality. While it is unlikely that you will be able to head to the store to pickup Chromat’s sports bra, it helps set the stage for what will come. Also, a big shout out to Chromat’s model casting, which was racially diverse and included plus sized models.

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by Doug Parker
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Designer

Rebecca Minkoff Debuts VR Content During NYFW

September 11, 2015

rebecca minkoff VR headset NYFW

Rebecca Minkoff is definitely not a stranger to technology. Besides offering jewelry with things such as notification support and integrated Lighting cables, her boutiques have among the highest tech dressing rooms in existence. This year the brand is looking to push things even further and is offering a VR experience of their NYFW show. By simply placing your phone in a special cardboard holder and downloading an app, users can feel like they are experiencing the designer’s collection for themselves. The video was filmed last spring, highlighting the Fall 2015 collection, and is the first VR experience of a runway show by any designer. While Rebecca Minkoff is not planning to record their Spring 2016 show in VR this week, the company is planning more VR content in the future. If you want to check out the virtual runway show, all you need is a mount similar to Google Cardboard. Rebecca Minkoff offered their own version online but it sold out very quickly (UPDATE: back in stock).

This is becoming the year of recorded content for NYFW. Ralph Lauren is streaming their show via Periscope, Instagram has launched a first-of-its-kind dedicated NYFW channel, and WME/IMG is streaming shows and launching a fashion network on the upcoming new AppleTV. No matter where in the world you are, NYC, Kansas, or China, you can feel part of Fashion Week – and now with VR even more so. As the event struggles to find its voice and regain its edge, I wonder if broadcasting worldwide to a mass audience accomplishes that.

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by Doug Parker
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Zac Posen NYFW LED Dress Made With Code
Fashion

Zac Posen Shows LED Dress Coded By Teen Girls At NYFW

September 11, 2015

Zac Posen NYFW LED Dress Made With Code

One of the biggest hits at designer Zac Posen’s New York Fashion Week showcase this week was an LED dress. The dress, beautiful in its own right, was made even more striking because of the people behind it; a team of teenage girls coded the dress’s amazing LED display. Through a partnership with Google’s Made With Code initiative, mentor and fashion engineer Maddy Maxey reached out to NYC’s Flatiron School, Black Girls Code organization, and Lower East Side Girls Club. The girls were presented with a drag-and-drop coding interface and were given a day to design LED animations, but it was not until later that they were told what it was for. Fifty of the girls involved were even in attendance at Zac Posen’s show.

We have talked about it before, but getting women of all ages more involved in STEM is vital. According to Made With Code less than 1% of women study computer science. This is horribly disproportionate and worrisome, especially for a field which is having more and more of an impact on our culture. Made With Code attempts to make coding more accessible to girls through gamification and educating them about real-world applications of computer science skills. If you want to tryout the interface the girls used to code the dress, Made With Code has posted it on their website. Head past the break to check out the LED dress (worn by model model Coco Rocha).  

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by Doug Parker
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2015 AppleTV M2M Made2Measure WME IMG NYFW
Fashion

WME/IMG Launching Fashion Network Exclusively On AppleTV

September 10, 2015

2015 AppleTV M2M Made2Measure WME IMG NYFW

WME/IMG has made it known that it is launching a fashion network exclusively on the AppleTV. The deal is a first-of-its-kind for Apple and will see the company behind New York Fashion Week provide exclusive content to Apple’s over-the-top (OTT) box. According to the New York Times, the network will be entitled Made 2 Measure and will feature on-demand classic fashion films and documentaries, an original documentary series on designers, industry issues and trends, and an inside perspective of new looks from shows that took place at WME/IMG venues. The launch of M2M is an interesting move by WME/IMG. We have discussed that NYFW has been facing an identify crisis, needing to choose between courting the trade and the mass populace. Launching an on-demand network seems to signify that WME/IMG is going to continue to chase the general consumer.

The all-fashion channel is expected to premiere in October, likely coinciding with the launch of the all new AppleTV. It has been widely discussed that Apple is planning to use the new device to launch a television service. After discussions with networks stalled earlier this year, the company is looking for alternative, exclusive content to build an audience; it was previously rumored that Apple had bid on a new show featuring the stars from Top Gear. The company likely wants a large active user base to increase their negotiating power with television networks.

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by Doug Parker
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Periscope Ralph Lauren NYFW 2015 2016 Spring
Fashion

Ralph Lauren To Use Periscope To Live Stream NYFW Show

September 9, 2015

Periscope Ralph Lauren NYFW 2015 2016 Spring

WWD is reporting that Ralph Lauren has partnered with Periscope to live stream the designer’s upcoming NYFW show. In a first, the Periscope stream will also be displayed live on a video billboard in London’s Piccadilly Circus. As events such as NYFW are becoming more consumer focused, live video streaming makes a lot of sense. According to David Lauren, EVP of global marketing, advertising, and corporate communications, the shared experience is so compelling because viewers know “that someone in Japan is seeing the same thing as someone as [sic] London or New York at the same time.” While Periscope has an impressive user base of over 10 million users, utilizing a billboard in London allows Ralph Lauren to simultaneously reach a broader audience; according to Lauren, over 2 million people pass through Piccadilly Circus every week.

Ralph Lauren is no stranger to utilizing technology. The fashion company’s first runway show for their Polo Women’s collection was done via a “4D projection” on The Lake in Central Park and they recently launched the Polo Tech smartshirt through a partnership with OMsignal. Discussing technology, Lauren said, “You have to be willing to try new things and take a few risks, and you have to figure out a way to connect both fashion and technology so it makes sense.” The Spring 2016 collection will be broadcast live from Skylight Clarkson Square on Thursday, September 17th at 11am EDT. This is also a notable move for Periscope; combined with news that the service will deploy an app for the upcoming AppleTV, the Twitter owned company seems to be making a strong push to increase awareness.

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by Doug Parker
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