Fashionable Aesthetics: Wearable Technology

Style...The Final Frontier... Parsons The New School for Design presented a book launch for assistant professor, Sabine Seymour's Functional Aesthetics, the sequel to her first book, Fashionable Technology.  This book highlights state-of-the-art fashion technology and reveals artistic examples focusing on the aesthetic and functional aspects.

There was an electronic paper workshop that celebrated the next wave of design merging textiles and technology. The series celebrated the launch of the Fashionable Technology Lab at Parsons, a research center that explores the intersection of design, technology, science and fashion.

Lab director Sabine Seymour, "We live in a world that is extraordinarily dependent upon technology, and it is up to designers to harness the power of technology to create functional, aesthetically pleasing work." Her research focuses on functional aesthetics in fashion, media, and technology. "Through this series, we will illuminate the current landscape of projects that utilize technology in innovative ways."

High-tech garment engineering, merged with high fashion is really becoming a movement.  Project Runway's Diana Eng produced  runway shows of inflatable wedding gowns, shimmering LED dresses and collapsable origami jackets made a splash at Makerfaire and Eyebeam gallery. Makerfaire also had other inventors with illuminated accessories and functional style.

Mainstream retailers like Uniqlo heavily promoted their HeatTech fabric from Japanese technology.  It is a lightweight fabric that supposedly generates heat when worn.

Is it possible that the future muses of fashion could be Einstein and Tesla?  Can we as designers blur the line between bad-ass stylist and mad-scientist? Hack away!

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Diana Eng's Maker Faire Fashion Show

Hackers, Geeks, Mad Scientists....Not your usual front-row guests at a highly-anticipated fashion show.  The Maker Faire festival held at the New York Hall of Science was home to massive gathering of inventors this weekend.  Robots of all kinds mingled with jet-propelled rides.  

Diana Eng, originally of Project Runway fame is now a superstar among the hacker and tech community.  Last fashion season, she presented a small collection of fairy-tale inspired fashion works at Eyebeam Studios.  For this presentation, she brought a few of the favorites as well as works inspired by underwater creatures.  

Her signature hacker fashion is a cross between science-experiment and runway couture. A light-framed layered organza collar was embellished with an over-sized cameo (that doubled as battery pack). What starts as a stylish bubble skirt inflates to a balloon-like sculpture. Statement necklace takes on a whole new meaning when the jewels light up and glow.  

Diana Eng is the author of Fashion Geek: Clothes Accessories Tech.  I purchased the book right after seeing her last show.  It has a bunch of projects accessible to the average person for making wearable tech accessories.  The techniques are applicable for any designer looking to make their Geek flag really fly.

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Hacker Fashion for Geeks and Dreamers

A week outside of the mainstream NY Fashion week, a Season 2 Project Runway alum presented her high-tech project to the world. Diana Eng, self proclaimed "Nerd" has been working on her "Fairytale Fashion" project at Eyebeam Atelier. The audience was noticeably absent of self-absorbed editors, preening socialites and all of the usual Garmento suspects. Instead, it was filled with students, brainy crafters, and the mathletes that would be Diana Eng's supportive fans.

The show itself was creatively inspiring. I'm happy to say that after a week of seeing the same color palettes at Bryant Park and Milk Studios, I was witness to something truly different. Diana Eng applied scientific principles, wiring and LED lights as embroidery and hems to cocktail dresses. A chic wedding dress inflated into a dramatic over-sized bow. A whimsical ballgown was filled with balloons that were released into the air, with twinkling lights as anchors. There were jackets with geometrically calculated pleating that collapsed onto itself for a hood or collar. Origami pleated sleeve adorned another jacket. One dress had roses projecting to the surface from within.

Instead of a pretentious DJ doing the soundtrack, four hackers created digital music with a wired felt pillow, hacked sewing machine and a bunch of laptops.

The only thing I miss from regular fashion week are the cocktails...Guests here were served fruit punch and honey tea. So much for giving up sobriety for Lent...

Photos by See-Ming Lee

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