Things the Tech World Can Learn From the Fashion World

Image via Complex Original

Donning a $25,000 haute couture gown is a great way to stand out in a crowd, but there’s a reason why designers don’t produce these sorts of garments in mass quantities: For the average person (at least the average person who is not walking the red carpet to accept an Oscar), they’re impractical. In fact, many of the world’s top design houses derive the bulk of their profits from accessories—handbags, shoes, and undoubtedly, some fancy-looking technology sleeves. Why? Because, above all else, they serve an actual purpose—a functional one. And that should be the primary goal of any single piece of technology: To serve an essential purpose that makes it nearly impossible to live without the device (like that cell phone you’re holding in your hand right now).

Leonardo da Vinci may not have been a fashion designer, but he knew a thing or two about beauty. And he hit upon one of the great truths in life when he once declared that, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Bells and whistles can be fun—“Hey look, my phone talks back to me!” or “Watch my television light up in the dark!”—but the most timeless technologies are the ones that are elegantly designed, simple to understand, and easy to use. Period.

By now, every color of the rainbow has spent some time as “the new black” (whether it’s got a television series named after it or not). And as such, consumers are clamoring for devices that go beyond the basic black, white, or tech-appropriate silver, hence the proliferation of reds, blues, greens, and beyond.

Sure, if you wanted to spend $15 million-plus on a diamond-encrusted cell phone, you could. You could also spend $100 on a less shiny but equally sleek device that allows you to make the exact same calls, send the same texts, and snap the same pictures, all without whoever is on the other end even knowing the difference. When it comes to fashion, affordability is always in.

Track the history of any essential piece of technology—the television, for example—and you’ll notice a forward progression toward increasing slimming. Or, in tech talk, ultra-thin. Sure, the fashion world's definition of "thin" can incite controversy, but no one can deny the appeal of slimmer-fitting garments, they complement the body and unlike baggy fits—that extra fabric won't get in the way. And isn't that what tech is about—being totally useful without being a nuisance? Hence, why slimmer phones are more comfortable in your pocket than the intricate bricks of yore.

Before you get too caught up in the above “thin is in” mantra, remember this: Skinny and curvy are not mutually exclusive. Though the beginnings of curved technology date all the way back to the mid-1970s, when Xerox began paving the way for a paperless office, curved personal devices—think televisions, tablets, and cell phones—are still relatively new to the consumer market, with tech giants like LG leading the way for a world in which curved pieces of personal technology offer better imaging, less reflection, and improved sound—three things that never go out of style.