For those Ultramods who like merging the creative and technical side of things, we get futuristic fashion. Futuristic fashion has a design aspect (part 1) and high-tech textile/wearable tech development aspect (part 2).
What sort of high-tech textiles or wearable tech developments go into futuristic fashion?
The following are some innovative textiles and wearable tech that might help inspire some futuristic fashion design.
Adafruit has a line of stuff to make your own wearable electronics. You can pair some of it up with Arduino stuff too. Check out the individual sites or Adafruit's blog post about wearable electronics to get a better idea.
This odd looking watch is actually a way to store and pay with cryptocurrency. Users unlock the system using their ECG signature – a biometric method of verification that recognizes a user’s unique heartbeat pattern – by touching the contact zone on the front. This activates the bluetooth, which communicates with the user’s smartphone and allows funds to be accessed.
Galactic Bioware has created urban clothing designed to deliver maximum protection against threats to personal safety from gunfire, shrapnel and knife violence without compromising comfort and clean design. The armor panels have a Level II gun protection rating and doubles as knife protection.
If you need conductive fabric for non-wearables or wearables, this is a place to purchase it. Fabric with silver has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. These textiles can be used for RF/EMI shielding.
Thermoregulating fabrics can bring your fashions to the next level.
The Rain Shed carries a line of outdoor and wearable high tech textiles. Goretex, fleece, reflective fabric, nylon, insulation, and more.
Just an infographic showing a bunch of wearable tech and high-tech fabrics. This is just a great way to show someone actually wearing what we're talking about.
Oros Apparel created an ultrathin insulation that utilizes aerogel - insulation used on space shuttles. While you can't purchase the SolarCore insulation, you can purchase the apparel. It's pricey, but works really well. This is the type of innovation that might inspire futuristic fashion.
Samsung is one of the leaders in smart tech which includes smartwatches. These can monitor your heartrate, BMI, body fat, fitness; connect with your phone and favorite apps; of course, tell you the time.
There are a lot of things not covered in this post because there are so many options out there between types of fabrics, new tech, and conceptual tech. What sort of textiles and/or wearable tech inspires you? Does any of this make you want to alter your designs to incorporate additional tech? Have you ever tried making your own wearable tech with adafruit and arduino items?