Every February and August, SOURCING at MAGIC brings the entire supply chain to Las Vegas to discuss the future of fashion, from textile trends to trade policy updates. We returned to the Las Vegas Convention Center a few weeks ago, where we learned that with new developments in wearable tech, the future of fashion is happening now!
You can already buy “wearable tech”—and brands like Levi Strauss & Co., Diane Von Furstenberg, and Stella McCartney/Adidas are just a few who are integrating performance technologies with fashionable design. (Indeed, on the last day of SOURCING at MAGIC, Ralph Lauren Corporation made the game-changing announcement that they will launch smart t-shirts in time for the U.S. Open.)
But there is still a lot of work to do to bring wearable tech to the mainstream, and the fashion industry and science world came together at SOURCING at MAGIC for a special focus on the latest innovations—and how these innovations will affect everything from your holiday shopping lists to trade policy.
During a session titled “The New Smart Tech/Smart Textile Movement: A Seminar for Beginners to Industry Leaders,” Nancy Marino, Partner at Columbus Consulting and former USFIA Board Member, said that we’re seeing a major shift to textiles having a purpose. Increasingly, textiles must not only be aesthetically pleasing, but also perform—though ultimately, the differentiator will be design.
More and more, we’ll see fashion brands implement technology. As technologies are literally getting smaller, wearables are able to grow, explained Sandra Lopez, Director of Strategic Alliances for Intel, which has partnered with LVMH to create smart watches for TAG Heurer and Fossil.
We’ll also see science and tech companies create technology for fashion—such as DuPont, which announced the launch of stretchable electronic ink during the trade show. In his presentation, Dr. Michael Burrows, Segment Manager of DuPont, explained that clothes will always outsell smart phones, so wearable tech is a massive opportunity for the fashion industry. This “plug and play” solution, according to Stephen Willoughby, Marketing Manager for DuPont, could make comfortable, functional, mass-produced smart clothing a reality with its signal strength and washability.
Willoughby spoke during a session titled “Follow the Road to Global Success,” moderated by USFIA President Julia K. Hughes and featuring Joshua Teitelbaum, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles, Consumer Goods, & Materials. In addition to discussing the latest updates on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, Teitelbaum also discussed the U.S. Government’s plans to invest in research and development for smart fabric, and create public-private partnerships to address the manufacturing challenges. You can download the presentation from the session here.
There are still many challenges to overcome, such as how to hide the necessary battery, as well as battery longevity, test methods, patents, and perhaps biggest of all, funding. (Though, we did learn scientists are researching incredible ideas such as how to harvest solar energy and even body heat to power wearable technologies!) Tom Snyder, Industry Liaison at ASSIST (Advanced Self-Powered Systems of Integrated Sensors & Technologies) at North Carolina State University, said the school is working to develop “invisible” technologies that don’t mess up the design.
When asked whether we will see wearable tech in everyone’s closets, Snyder said wearables will be mainstream when the term “wearable tech” is dead—because you will just simply expect the functionality in your clothing. He said the industry needs to communicate their ideas and needs to the tech world to see them come to life—or else we might see the tech world hiring fashion designers or even buying fashion brands to corner the market. While there’s still research to be done, the future is sooner than brands and retailers might think!