10 Ways Technology Is Taking Fashion to the Next Level

Image via Complex Original

A technology that allows for one-off copies of almost anything the mind can design? Sounds right up our alley. And the applications go beyond the runway-ready featherweight latticework and sculptural jewelry of designers like Iris Van Herpern, too. In the near future, we might be ordering perfect-fitting 3D-printed shoes and gloves, and fumbling with boxy shoes and baggy fits might be a thing of the past.

Solar-powered fabric that charges your gadgets as you sunbathe. Clothes with trackers in them so you’ll never leave your coat at the bar. Biometric shirts that track your vitals at the gym. Color-changing, LED-lit clothes that will make you look like Hunger Games royalty. Sure, some are more than a little pie in the sky so far, but it’s inevitable that ever-shrinking electronics and the rise of digital omnipresence will make the worlds of silicon and silk converge sooner or later. After all, as electronics become a permanently entrenched part of our lives, where better to hide them than the stuff we put on every day anyway?

What better to save us from technology than…more technology? That, anyway, is the crux of the burgeoning wearables category, which promises to liberate us from the endless swiping and checking and unlocking brought upon by modern, smartphone-centric life. From heads-up displays to smartwatches to a Bluetooth-enabled cocktail ring, the race is on to find innovative new devices that make our digital lives more confluent not only with fashion, but in everyday existence as well. And while the initial launch of Google Glass was met with a relatively tepid reception, the battle for your retinal real estate isn’t over: Google plans to come back with a revised, more consumer-friendly version of Glass, Microsoft is entering the augmented reality game with the Hololens, and Intel announced a new partnership with eyewear giant Luxottica. One way or another, we’ll all be cyborgs soon enough.

Want a stain-resistant shirt that repels red wine like an aquaphobic teetotaler? Or one that irons itself with your body heat or stretches to move with your body while wicking heat and moisture away from it? All of it is within the realm of possibility thanks to advances in textile technology that elevates the classic shirt past the constraints of mere cotton. With a mix of natural and synthetic fibers, apparel makers are making our workday mainstays more flexible, comfortable, and lower maintenance—one less thing to worry about, right?

As sneakers go from gym equipment to savvy street accessory, it’s good to know that the performance technology still at the heart of sneaker design continues to progress, offering up new levels of style and utility with each new iteration. Technologies like Nike’s Flyknit fabric and hexagonal cushioning system don’t have to be taken to the court to reveal their advantages, and it’s not just sneakers, either: Everything from dress shoes to high heels are being slowly integrated with the latest in structural engineering. And walking the pavements this summer in lightweight, comfortable, eye-catching kicks will more than speak for itself.

As in many other industries, the streamlining brought about by savvy data analysis and enterprise solutions is a huge potential boon to the world of fashion. And while fashion has been slow to catch up, the benefits will show themselves in faster, more reactive design and inventory, particularly among the fast fashion superstores that increasingly capture our interest and buying dollars. So the next time you don’t fancy the new arrivals and the sale rack stinks, just think: The Uniqlos of the future will have an even more tightly curated range of options tied in real-time to the thumbs up and down of people just like you. And thanks to advances in technology, we won’t need boutiques to find shelves that feel like they were stocked just for us.

Nearly 20 to 40 percent of all clothing purchased online are returned due to fit issues, which isn’t just a drag on retailer margins, but a huge waste of customers’ time and package wrap to boot. This is why a variety of companies are working on ever-more precise ways to measure customers’ dimensions in the comfort of their own homes. From survey-style Q&As to measuring tapes that come in the mail to more sophisticated techniques based around cameras and lasers, the race is on to find the most convenient and accurate way to get the right size to your door on the first try, which is great because the next time we’re in line for a fitting room will be too soon, if you ask us.

Ever see a dope sneaker on the street, or the perfect blazer on someone’s Instagram, and wish there was an app for tracking it down? That’s the ambition behind so-called fashion recognition apps, which attempt to take images and scour the Internet for the lust object in question. And while many such apps have experienced plenty of technical challenges—the same reason any two-year-old can recognize faces better than Facebook’s photo uploader—the eventual outcome should be hugely useful for shoppers, becoming an indispensable tool for our curatorial impulses.

Let’s face up to the fact that while the industry has made significant strides in recent years, technology companies are still hard-pressed to do “fashion.” Many recent devices are well designed and handsome—for a tech device—but would hardly pass muster as pure objets d’art, which is where the beautiful marriage of fashion and technology comes in. More designers than ever are lending their aesthetic eyes to established gadgets, creating collaborative amalgams like a Rebecca Minkoff clutch with Stelle Audio speakers, a Tory Burch Fitbit, and Opening Ceremony’s take on Intel’s MICA wearable. It’s the best of both worlds, and while some may be content with the baseline, affordable versions of the latest gadgets, the rest of us will retain the right to add some bling to proceedings when called for.

Like with many other industries, crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter have provided a fascinating new outlet for upstarts to get their creations off the ground. And whether it’s a clever wallet design or a stylish backpack, the number of successfully funded products on the site point to large niches that have been looked over by the manufacturing powers that be. But the best Kickstarter brands have also sidestepped the fashion industry’s cartel-like approach to planned obsolescence and provided value propositions to consumers, whether it’s the 10-Year Hoodie, or Gustin’s crowdfunded runs on quality selvage denim. One thing in fashion is for sure, though, which is that the voice (and dollars) of the people is a disruptive force to stay.