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FASHIONTECH: WHAT’S NEXT? (PART 3)
The past weeks I have been blogging about fashion and technology, so called wearables. I discussed experiments, gadget- ish items and small steps towards collections where the estranged disciplines emerge in a fashionable manner. What’s next?
On the 17th and 18th of may V2, an institute that is experimenting with wearables for decades, is organising a conference called Crafting the Future. There will be a debate, a workshop and a chance to meet the international innovators in the fields of fashion and technology. Moritz Waldemeyer, the man responsible for Hussein Chalayans moving dresses will elaborate on the role of craft in his daily practice. Cutecircuit, a wearable label that introduced the galaxy dress, a dress with dozens of moving and colourful lights, will talk about the relevance of their practice. Syuzi Pakhchyan, author of the book Fashioning Technology: A DIY Intro to Smart Crafting and founder of the website Fashioningtech.com, will be moderator during the debates.
I urgently recommend all fashion designers to take a visit. Wearables have been in the experimenting fase for years. The Netherlands has been stimulating these developments through grants. The time has come to use them for fashionable, preferably Dutch, collections.
It is an idea that has popped up in the mind of innovator and stylist of Lady Gaga; Nicola Formichetti as well. Mid 2013 he will present a line that will include fabric that molds to a wearer’s body (to avoid having to use zippers), and solar power-enabled fabrics.
Until then, or rather, before then, let’s try to get inspired by the techno trend that is surrounding us on a growing scale. Not only in fashion we see proposals for the future, also art is getting more techno driven. What about ‘posthumanist’ artist Orlan who transforms herself into an alien through plastic sugery? Artist Ryan Trecartin involves internet aesthetics in his hysterical videos. Graphic designers Pinar and Viola created an app that allows you to transform into a panda bear!
Concerning young fashion designers we left were we have taken of – at the London Masters Fashion Design Technology. Take a look at the designs of Kay Kwok that consists out of printed neoprene fabric and 3D hats. Growing up in a day and age where technology was as normal as going to the supermarket, maybe we have to count on the next generation for the real innovation. Sooner or later fashiontech will define our future.
Urban Beekeeping
Extraordinary creatures: by law of physics it should be impossible for bees to fly, yet they do. Another thing they do is pollinate a whopping 67% of all plants and a byproduct of this process is liquid gold which makes Winnie the Pooh behave like a certified crack head.
Bees in cartoons are usually portrayed as friendly creatures and they are: Bees pose no threat to us humans, as they are only interested in pollen. In fact, the declining global population of bees is a serious threat: If those 67% of plants are no longer pollinated, imagine what that would do to our environment. No plants means no seeds and no fruit means no food for birds and mammals in our surroundings and that makes a pretty boring concrete jungle if you ask me. Take it a step further and within four years we might be facing extinction, according a quote (falsely) attributed to Einstein.
Enter the world of urban beekeeping:
New York, Paris and Gent have preceded Amsterdam as beekeeping cities (Amsterdam actually already tried in 2004 with contemporary art piece ‘de Bijentafel’ by Frank Mandersloot, to no avail): Now there is a colony of 20.000 bees on the roof of the Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam. The city hosts a variety of city gardens and with the growing trend of urban gardening on balconies, it should provide an excellent harvest ground for the honeybees.
BEECOSYSTEM
At last years Dutch Design Week I encountered the Beecosystem concept by Michele Liu. It combines tangible objects for the real world like modular honeycomb shaped planters with an online community and interactive map of where to find other- and place your planter, which in todays Facebook age makes total sense.
URBAN BEEHIVE
The Microbial Home Project by Philips consists of various concepts to challenge conventional design solutions regarding energy, cleaning, food preservation, lighting and human waste. One of these concepts is the Urban Beehive. It looks like a futuristic ant farm and even comes with a device to release smoke into the hive to calm the bees down so you access your private stash of honey.
More information on how to be an urban beekeeper can be found here.
FASHIONTECH: WHAT’S NEXT? (part 2)
We can’t imagine our daily life without technology. Why don’t we see this development reflected more on the runway and in the way we dress?
Last week I ended my Fashiontech part 1 blog with the issue of the fashion aspect in techno clothes. There is a whole lot of experimenting going on when it comes to gadget- ish dresses and T-shirts. Look at this clip for instance where the so-called climate dress is shown. It lights up when there is a high concentration of CO2 in it surrounding. Or, the Intimacy Dress, designed by Dutch designers Anouk Wipprecht and Daan Roosegaarde. The closer a person gets, the more transparent the gown becomes. Last but not least: the spray on shirt.
Great experiments, but where is the fashion part? The part that makes the piece of clothing feel modern and makes the wearer feel refreshed; makes her dream about what you could be when wearing a dress like this?
Gradually a bridge is being created between the world of technicians and fashion designers. Two groups that you could imagine needed the time to get to know each other.
A great example of how the two can melt into a fashionable sculpture is a dress by Canada based designer Ying Gao. It seems as if the subtle moving gown is not just a gadget, but really adds to the fairytale atmosphere of her show. In other words: it makes you dream of nymphs and princesses in a windy forest.
Next week the last fashiontech blog will be about the activities concerning wearable technology on DEAF Festival, held from May 16th till June 3rd in Rotterdam. In the meantime the Dutchies can contemplate further on the subject by watching a talkshow I presented commissioned by Vodafone. Among guests are fashion designer Pauline van Dongen and Natasha van der Velden; researcher on sustainability and industrial design at the Technische Universiteit Delft. What if the two would start a structural collaboration?
Fashiontech: what’s next? (part 1)
In 2006 Hussein Chalayan proposed a fashion idea for the future. What if our dresses could move on their own? How would it look like when a hat turns into a mini skirt and when it gets colder, it folds out and you end up looking like a Victorian bride?
Six years later these dresses are not yet for sale, but there are some noticeable developments going on in the field that borders between fashion and technology. Suzanne Lee’s Bio Couture enables users to ‘grow’ a piece of clothing out of tea and sugar. Iris van Herpen makes fashion sculptures out of 3D prints.
In the last week of may, V2 – interdisciplinary centre for art and media in technology in Rotterdam and a leading player when it comes to fashiontech, organises the annual Dutch Electronic and Arts Festival (DEAF). One of the highlights is ‘Crafting the Future’ which will show the latest of the latest on fashion and technology through workshops and debates. It is good reason for some in- depth blogging about the subject that will define our fashion future eventually.
To start with: the collection of Jennifer F. M. Murray, graduate of the MA fashion design and technology in London. A study especially set up to challenge clothing through technology.
Murray’s collection ‘Cirque d’Amen’, in which she compares the role of the catholic church with the circus, proves that fashiontech doesn’t only has to exist out of smart textiles or moving fabric. The 24- old worked closely together with Preciosa, a Czech company that is innovative in combining lights and jewellery. The result is a subtle collection with a tech feel and spiritual references. In other words: fashionable. It’s an element that is somewhat missing in a lot of wearable technology these days. To be continued.
Viral Social Media Experience
While setting up a new retail chain in West Africa I have been busy trying to think of new ways to promote the brand during opening. What is it that makes a brands name spread over the world like wildfire? The answer is simple, the mix of viral and social media. You would need to create an event or brand experience which gets the consumers talking….. Social Media talking.
One such event was planned at last summers London Fashion Week by Blackberry. In celebration of the launch of their latest Blackberry telephone, they gave members of the public a chance to be a famous catwalk model, and star in their very own live show on the London Fashion Catwalk, by Blackberry.
How they did it? The transformed a space on High Street Kensington into a catwalk with no audience, giving fashionistas a chance to strut their stuff. But a catwalk with no audience isn’t lots of fun, so Blackberry used green-screen technology and transformed the space into a full-on catwalk experience, complete with a true fashion loving audience.
Blackberry would then film the fashion show and send it directly to the aspiring ‘catwalk-model,’ letting them share it with all their friends on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Therefore creating a unique viral clip for all those sharing it. A true Viral Social Media Experience.
social media: bespoke as the master tailor
With the explosion of social media, looking good has never been so easy. For sure you have all those fashionista blogs I mentioned in a previous post, but that is mainly aimed at girls between the ages of 15-25. They have it easy; the fashionista gets a set of clothes from H&M, Mango, Top Shop, or any high-street brand; she mixes the brands to make a set; takes a picture of herself; and there you go, style advice for the girls. Girls have it easy, but what about the men?
There are enough blogs out there sharing the latest in fashion, the latest collections, but it’s hard to find a place that advises you on style. What goes with what? Which colour tie should I wear with which shirt?
As Editor in Chief of Ajanaku.com, I try to share my experience and knowledge with my male habitants of the world, young and old. I do this by sharing inspirational images of fashion-minded men around the world, as well as tips concerning a subject: The Wedding Suit, The Perfect Tie, and so on. Is this enough? I don’t think so, as men are less generic than women, they search for tailored advice. Why do you think that there are still bespoke tailors for men and none for women in Europe? It’s because men like to have items that are made for them, sets them apart from the mass, fits perfect, and is a piece that can go for at least 5 years.
So where does social media come into this? How can social media be as bespoke as the master tailor? The first is a re-invention of the Fashion Doctor in all the men’s magazines like GQ. Where you would have to send in a letter or email and wait two editions to see if you made the cut, you can now tweet sites like MR. PORTER at set times in the week, and get a catered advice within a few min. Imagine; you are at the point to head out to the office party and don’t know which tie goes with your pink-striped shirt and blue suit. You tweet your question to @MRPORTER, telling him the options, and 5 min later you get your answer, the blue tie!
It’s not only twitter where this service is available, but on facebook as well. Just follow the brand/person, and ask away. Once you start to get a sense of what rules apply where, you need not ask style advice, but just want some inspiration for what to wear, you could always turn to The Satorialist. A legend in photographing style-conscious people on the street, it is great for inspiration, but does not offer the scope of the different styles. This is where Pinterest comes in.
A digital pinboard, it offers people the chance to pin images found throughout the web, and therefore create a moodboard of images. As many individuals are ‘bespoke’ in their style, you just need follow 10 individuals, and you get a multitude of styles and inspiration. They would include images from site like The Satorialist, The Fashionistas, The Brands, and the blogs. Basically a central point for all that is fashion.
So what you waiting for? Oh yeah, at the moment Pinterest only works on invitation basis, so you will need to get a friend to invite you, or you can always send me an email and I will send you an invite. Have fun Pinning your style.
Red Bull Music Academy
Red Bull is known for their involvement in (extreme) sports, ranging from skateboarding to iceskating (not the fancy kind) & air races to their own Formula 1 team. What many people don’t know is Red Bull’s deep involvement in the music scene. The company has been contributing to the music scene for nearly 15 years: whereas companies like Pepsi throw wads of cash at the likes of Michael Jackson, Madonna and most recently signed a multi million dollar endorsement deal with Nicki Minaj, Red Bull takes an entirely different and unique approach: the Red Bull Music Academy.
The Red Bull Music Academy is a world-travelling series of music workshops and festivals and invites 60 music enthusiasts worldwide to a new city each year to come together for two weeks worth of recording sessions, lectures by musical luminaries, and unforgettable late night jams. Cities like Madrid, Berlin, London, Capetown and São Paulo. The lucky ones that are selected for 2012′s Academy will be shipped to no other than New York.
I had the good fortune to participate myself in the Academy of ’08 in Barcelona where I had the opportunity to collaborate with Jamie Woon amongst others. Other former participants include Flying Lotus, Aloe Blacc, Hudson Mohawke, Dorian Concept, Black Coffee, Jesse Boykins III and Katy B (who now stars in a Olympics commercial with Marc Ronson for Coca Cola ironically). The long list of lecturers include illustrious names like Erykah Badu, Nile Rodgers, ?uestlove, A-Trak, Biz Markie, Tony Allen, Gilles Peterson, Leroy Burgess, Busy P & Leon Ware to name but a few.
Over the years Red Bull has collected a vast amount of lecture videos which can all be seen on the website, as well as an even bigger collection of radioshows which actually deserves its own website: Red Bull Music Academy Radio.
As a former participant I was delighted to find that after London, Los Angeles, Auckland and Capetown, Red Bull has now opened a permanent studio in Amsterdam. If you have an idea, a sample of your own music and a proper motivation as to why you want to record/produce in the Red Bull Studio, all you have to do is apply via the website (dutch only).
The little printer
Our lives seem increasingly to be ruled by our social media accounts. I find myself checking into all my locations with Foursquare & Facebook, updating everyone on eat course I am eating at the restaurant, and checking what all my friends are up too. It doesn’t even seem to end there! I then start playing cross-words puzzles on my smart phone and read upon on the latest news and weather forecast. Will I ever be able to live without my phone?
Well this is where a little square shaped friends comes in. Imagine this: you are getting ready in the morning, rush down to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee, and your latest mini-newspaper. This mini-newspaper is more than just news, it also has the latest Foursquare updates from your friends, the newest cross-word puzzle, and the latest gossip from your friends.
This little friend is the Little Printer from the guys at BERG Cloud. What started as a concept is turning into reality this year, and just asks that you have a smart phone and a wireless connection. You don’t even need to refill the ink to the Little Printer as it uses ink less thermal printing.
This is what BERG Cloud have to say about the little friend:
“Little Printer lives in your home, bringing you news, puzzles and gossip from your friends. Use your smartphone to set up subscriptions and Little Printer will gather them together to create a timely, beautiful mini-newspaper.”
The Little Printer will be a truly BIG Friend for me in 2012.
THE FUTURE OF FASHION BLOGGING
A couple of weeks ago I was invited to join the Firestarters Talkshow by Vodafone. One of the main questions we discussed was: Are fashion bloggers more powerful then certain big editors and journalists?
The current phenomenon fashion bloggers shouldn’t be something new to most people, but in case you haven’t heard of any, try googling the top notch: Bryan ‘Bryanboy’ Yambao, Diane ‘A Shaded View On Fashion’ Pernet, Pelayo ‘KateLovesMe’ Diaz, Scott ‘The Satorialist’ Schuman, Susanna ‘Stylebubble’ Lau, Tavi ‘StyleRookie’ Gevinson, Tommy ‘Jak&Jil’ Ton.
I have to add, blogging has been going on for years. When I look back at my own timeline of online posting and writing I remember a daily diary with added photos starting in 2000 through the website CU2, followed by PP2G, Myspace and eventually Blogspot in 2007. But what is it that turned online writing into the term blogging and eventually in a full-time job for some?
Take for example Bryanboy, the in Manila born blogger, who not only has a Louis Vuitton bag named after him, he is also living of the weekly posts – flying from one event to the other while sharing the inside information and sponsored brands with anyone online. Or how about Tommy Ton, the Canadian blogger who went from shooting people on the streets to shooting campaigns for clients such as Lane Crawford and becoming a contributing photographer to titels such as Vogue.
Maybe the most remarkable one is the young Tavi Gevinson, who was discovered at the age of 13 and recently modelled the cover of the 90th anniversary issue of the french L’Officiel. Question remaining: When did the big fashion bloggers became the new IT-celebrities?
The big editors and journalists are not in line when it comes down to the current hype, Purple Magazine’s editor Olivier Zahm mentioned to ‘hate them all’, meaning the front row sitting bloggers. While other editors such as Anna Wintour and Anna Dello Russo have both been a big support to the young talents. But what would someone like Cathy Horyn think? And most interesting, how much more influential and powerful are they really?
With Tumblr and Twitter being the new hype it appears that we choose quick and easy images and text over well written and photographed stories. We are in need of the latest information in the quickest way possible, choosing to read and see it from someone posting it first, instead of it being posted by one of the best.
So what after blogging? What if certain editors will be replaced by several bloggers? Or if some bloggers are asked to fill in a couple of pages a month the same way they once did for their blog? What will be the future, the blogger or the journalist? Or is the blogger perhaps the new journalist? Answers and opinions can be sent my way.
NOTE: Of course our own country has some well-known bloggers as well, don’t forget to visit afterDRK by Sabrina Meijer and CommeDesLeroi by Leroy Aznan.
The Travel Almanac #2
The Travel Almanac is a unique travel publication based on the perspective of a growing international community of artists, musicians and business people who frequently travel and live abroad, creating their own stories within the bigger plots of other cultures. In The Travel Almanac they explore the effect of their cosmopolitan lifestyle on their lives and what they learn along the way.
The second edition of The Travel Almanac, this time subtly geographically focussed on the USA, yet again amazed me with its broad array of featured interviews – ranging from supermodel Alek Wek to fashion designer Helmut Lang and songwriter/actor Will Oldham.
Also featured is an interview with German fashion designer Bernhard Willhelm. Reading this article I was reminded of the documentary Loïc Prigent made about Mark Jacobs and Louis Vuitton, in which Mark Jacobs reflects on his nomadic life. I loved seeing how Jacobs, forced to live with a minimum of personal belongings due to all his travels, values only the art objects he possesses (especially his favourite ones by Ed Ruscha).
The charming little interview with Bernhard Willhelm describes a similar nomadic life; Willhelm worked on a collection at an hideout in Mexico, and will move his whole team to Japan for the next one. Willhelm, refreshingly, describes a very positive side of international living. As opposed to being rushed around like Jacobs sometimes seemed to be, he savours being able to move his office around the globe – and by immersing himself in new surroundings, he is able to create things he couldn’t have made at ‘home’.
You can order The Travel Almanac #2 here.
