I found this article on The Onion (a made up satirical news site, for anyone who is unfamiliar with it), it is hilarious!  I’m not going to say much because I want everyone to check out this article, plus there are more funny pictures that you won’t want to miss.

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/obama_outfitted_with_238_motion

This garment called “Hidden” by the fashion design collaboration High Tea with Mrs. Woo, incorporates pockets that activate heat when the hands are placed in the pockets and the decorative cuffs come into contact with the pocket lining.  The materials in this garment include cotton, silk, polyester, conductive thread, nylon ripstop, copper PVC, hook and wire, and rechargeable battery. 

Other than this piece, their work doesn’t seem to involve any wearable technology but it is worth checking out their site for fun and if you like fashion. 

www.highteawithmrswoo.com.au

The Taiknam Hat designed by Ricardo Nascimento, Ebru Kurbak and Fabiana Shizue, is a kinetic headpiece that responds to radio signals in the environment by moving its feathers.  The intention is to visually communicate and raise awareness of the  electromagnetic radiation which surrounds us and is a metaphor to express the human body’s irritation towards the waves.  The effects of these waves have already been shown to cause disturbance among birds (which would also give reason for this idea being expressed through a feather hat).

www.taiknamhat.net

This is a link to a video of a wearable computer developed by MIT media lab students that is able to turn any surface into an interactive display screen – Check it out!

We are all aware that computers have become exponentially smaller and more powerful but this is significant because it is a step toward eliminating the physical object all together – or at least imagining a world like this.   The idea of not needing a camera to take a picture or not needing a physical screen in order to interact with a computer further blurs the line between virtual world and reality or physical world.  Worlds are colliding!   Between starving our material resources and new technologies which reduce the need for physical objects, how will this affect industrial design?  hmmm, maybe we should all bulk up on interaction design courses.

solar colour changing thread indoors

solar colour changing thread outdoors

I was looking into ways of harnessing solar energy other than using actual solar panels and happened to come across this – it’s embroidery thread that changes colour in the sun.  It would be great to try this out using the embroidery machine!   I think I’m going to order some, if anyone else is interested, maybe we can order some together… 

http://www.allthreads.com/SolarActiveThread.aspx

The first thing that comes to my mind in response to the concept of combining textiles and technology is the work of fashion designer Hussein Chalayan.  To my knowledge he is the most creative and innovative person in this field.  His pieces bring a new dimension to fashion by incorporating technologies that allow the pieces to self transform or interact with the model and/or surrounding environment in new ways.  His work crosses many boundaries taking inspiration from everything from interactive media, to architecture, to science and technology.  What I am personally inspired by is the way he makes technology feel seamless and elegant, and his ability to provoke the imagination.