Fashion
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Augmented reality puts clothes on near-naked models
There have certainly been attempts at using augmented reality to help choose your wardrobe, but never quite like this. Internet retailer Lyst marked the start of London Fashion Week by using AR to clothe near-naked models in a shop window -- effectively, they were living mannequins. You only had to point a phone or tablet at the models to see what they would look like donning some athletic wear or a formal dress, no matter the pose or the viewing angle.
'Inspirational' fashion ads sell exactly the look you're Googling
Google is changing the way it indexes fashion-related content as part of an experiment involving outfits posted by fashion bloggers. Shop the Look culls various products from outfit searches so you can purchase pieces of said outfit as seen in the photo. You'll be able to tap through the image and explore what's available in a visually similar manner to the outfit via Shopping ads.
Google's Project Muze creates unwearable fashion pieces
Google shouldn't enter the fashion business any time soon, if the partnership between Berlin-based Zalando and Google is any indication.
'Football Fan Shirt' uses haptics to help you feel the big match
If you're already a huge fan of football (aka soccer) and wish you could feel those sweet victories and bitter defeats, Wearable Experiments thinks it can help. Just in time for the Euro 2016 tournament, it's showing off an international version of its smartphone-connected Football Fan Shirt that sends haptic vibrations to your torso whenever there's a big play by a team you follow. You'll savor goals that much more, of course, but the clothing can also register everything from tackles to the dreaded red card.
How Adidas is using motion capture to reinvent running shoes
When Kanye West isn't wearing his Yeezys (or Vans, as he describes in a song on The Life of Pablo), he's often spotted in Adidas Ultra Boosts. Since being introduced last year, the Ultra Boost has quickly transcended its intended purpose as a running shoe, becoming an essential silhouette for sneakerheads everywhere. But despite Ultra Boost finding success in the streetwear community, Adidas continues to create products around a mantra from founder Adi Dassler: "It all starts with the athlete." That idea, combined with the use of evolving technologies such as motion capture, is what drove the design behind AlphaBounce, the company's latest running shoe.
Fashion (mostly) missed the point of its tech-inspired Met Gala
Since 1946, the Met Gala has hosted the biggest names in fashion and entertainment. While the prestigious event acts as a fundraiser for The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, it's also a chance for A-listers from different industries to model the latest fashion trends. This year's event, which was sponsored by Apple, took inspiration from a new exhibition at The Met called Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology, which uses more than 100 garments to illustrate how design techniques have evolved over the years. With that in mind, some Met Gala attendees -- each hand-picked by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour -- attempted to incorporate tech into their outfit for the evening. Claire Danes, for instance, wore a long blue gown that lit up in the dark, while supermodel Karolina Kurkova donned an LED-powered smart dress designed by fashion house Marchesa and IBM. But they weren't the only ones to go along with the theme: Katy Perry, Zayn Malik and a few others did so as well. Apple's Chief Design Officer Jony Ive was there too, but he went for a minimalist suit.
IBM supercomputer helped design a dress it can never wear
IBM's supercomputer can already knock up a meal, pick out a gift and know if you're feeling a bit depressed. Now, Watson is going to show the world that it can also do a passable job as a fashion designer for Marchesa. IBM teamed up with the New York-based outfitter to produce a "cognitive dress," a data-driven garment that's meant to show off what Watson can do. With the aid of Marchesa's creatives, the machine suggested a color scheme for the outfit, helped narrow down the fabric choices and assisted with the LED lighting scheme. Yes, it's got LEDs embedded into the material, which shall change color depending on Watson's sentiment analysis of social media during the 2016 Met Gala.
How Instagram became the perfect platform for streetwear resellers
Instagram isn't just about pictures of food. Search certain hashtags -- #yeezysforsale, for example -- and you'll find countless images of the most in-demand streetwear. Behind those photos are resellers who have turned the social network into a platform for buying, selling and trading items. This is where those coveted Yeezy sneakers end up for resale, often in the thousands of dollars. The same goes for limited-edition Air Jordans or clothing from Supreme, a New York City-based brand that's taking a particular section of the fashion world by storm.
Adidas tries to make buying Yeezys fair but misses the mark
Buying Yeezy Boost sneakers online is tough. It comes down to this: Supply cannot meet demand. The shortage is so acute that if you don't buy them at launch for retail price -- between $200 and $350, depending on the model -- you'll have to pay upwards of $2,000 on eBay or another site to get your hands on a pair. Reselling Yeezys has become a business, and both Adidas and Nike (with its retro Jordans) are turning to tech to make the shopping experience fair and safe for everyone.
Hermès will offer more straps for the Apple Watch
Apple and Hermès have revealed that the pair will introduce a raft of new strap options for the Apple Watch. According to Elle Australia, the new bands will launch on April 19th in a variety of pretentious-sounding color options. Users will have their pick of Bleu Paon, Bleu Saphir, Blanc and Feu -- more commonly known as Green, Blue, White and Orange. At the same time, the pair will begin selling the bands separate from the smartwatch they connect to, enabling wealthy users to swap their strap to match their outfit. AppleInsider is reporting that the standalone bands will retail for $340 and $490, depending on if you want a 38 or 42mm band.
Amazon's first live show is QVC for the YouTube generation
Now that Amazon has its own private fashion labels, it's launching its its first ever live TV show called Style Code Live. Hosted by a trio of reality and fashion show personalities, the show looks like a youth take on QVC's home shopping channel. The hosts and their guests will offer fashion and makeup advice, while viewers will be able to buy the corresponding products from a carousel under the video player. "We're live, interactive, and covering the latest trends in fashion and beauty each weeknight -- with guest experts, celebrities, and viewer tips," producer Terrence Noonan told Variety.
The latest menswear accessory is a Surface Book
As the line between fashion and technology continues to blur, Microsoft Japan is taking the well-trodden path of fashion collaboration to promote its Surface Book and tablets. Microsoft has claimed a corner of the upscale department store Isetan Men's in Shinjuku, Tokyo, stocking its hybrid PCs next to pricey fashion items. There's also a digital "hologram" mirror, which shoppers can use to see how they look in 360-degrees. Shop attendants scan you with a Surface -- of course -- while a platform spins you around. The results are then beamed to a floating display so that you can see how you really look. Browse the department store collaboration for yourself in our gallery:
Fashion and technology find common ground in a new exhibition
Technology isn't just about smartphones and 4K. In the fashion world, it comes in the form of computer modeling, laser cutting, sewing machines and, recently, 3D printing. These elements are what inspired a new exhibition called Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology, which will be on display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York later this year. Manus x Machina features over 100 pieces, ranging from haute couture to ready-to-wear, each showing how designers have adopted handmade and machine-made techniques throughout history.
Gay dating app Grindr is hosting a fashion show this Sunday
Apparently there comes a time in every (allegedly) salacious dating app's life where it tries shedding its perceived sins by going mainstream. For Grindr, that's being the exclusive live-streaming option for a show at the upcoming London Collections Men event. This Sunday the gay-male-focused, location-based application will host J.W. Anderson's menswear fall 2016 show. But according to The New York Times, you won't be watching the runway from within the app itself -- users will get a link and a code to watch on a mobile browser. Grindr's VP of marketing, Landis Smithers, says that for a portion of the app's users, fashion is a pretty big deal and future projects like this could include music and night life.
Google debuts designer watch faces for Android Wear
With companies like TAG Heuer and Fossil now investing in Android Wear, Google knows how important it is to keep smartwatches looking stylish. As such, the company has revealed a set of fashion-centric watch faces for Android Wear devices, as part of a partnership with nine different brands. This includes designs from Asics, Harajuku Kawaii!, Mango, Melissa Joy Manning, Nicole Miller, Ted Baker, Vivienne Tam, Y-3 and Zoe Jordan.
Fossil's Android Wear watch goes on sale for $275
A company that specializes in designing watches has released an Android Wear model you might actually wear to dinner. Fossil's Q Founder smartwatch is now available on Google Play for $275 in leather (coming soon), with the stainless steel model priced at $295. Like the Tag Heuer Connected, it's powered by an Intel Atom CPU rather than the Qualcomm chips used in most Android Wear models. Other specs include 1GB of RAM, 4GB of storage, 24-hour battery life and a 1.5-inch, 360 x 326 display (240 ppi) display. Sensor-wise, it packs an accelerometer, gyroscope and ambient light sensor.
Fashion brand Moschino is making a 'Super Mario' collection
Moschino is becoming known for sending bizarre collections down the runway, meshing interesting aspects of culture with fashion. The brand's creative director, Jeremy Scott, has designed pieces based on fast food chain McDonald's, cartoon character SpongeBob and, most recently, Barbie. But it's not stopping there. Now, Moschino has partnered with Nintendo to unveil "Super Moschino," a set of t-shirts, sweaters and leather accessories that use Super Mario characters as the subject.
Pepper robots are getting fashionable makeovers
Pepper, Softbank's adorable emotion-sensing robot, is rapidly becoming the victim of its own cuteness after owners began dressing it up in wacky costumes. The Wall Street Journal has found that buyers of the device got together to form an intricate craft circle, making outfits for the device that won't interfere with its sensors. Head on over to Rierie and you'll find a wide variety of dresses, t-shirts and wigs that'll turn the appliance into a cross between a surrogate child and a cat you put in suits for Halloween. Interestingly, users can also buy makeup stickers and earrings to make the androgynous robot appear more masculine or feminine than when sold. It's become enough of a phenomenon that the store accepts global orders, so if you're looking for an attractive kimono for your droid, it'll cost you 20,000 yen ($163).
A Misfit Flash wrapped in glitter is still a Misfit Flash
Misfit has teamed up with BaubleBar to create a necklace and bracelet for the Misfit Flash that'll provide the wearable with some much-needed style points. Essentially, the Helena Necklace and Bracelet are glittery lockets that keep the device tucked inside, hanging from either a six or 32-inch chain. According to the company, the pieces are "as smart as they are stunning" and will be available exclusively at Target from November 29th for $69.99 a pop. It's worth mentioning that the devices come with their own $29.99 Flash tucked inside, as well as the traditional rubber strap for workouts.
HP teams up with another giant watchmaker on smart wristwear
HP isn't done reviving its smartwatch partnerships just because it's helping Movado -- far from it. The tech pioneer has unveiled a smartwatch deal with Titan, the fifth-largest watchmaker in the world and a powerhouse in its native India. The two aren't saying much about what their new wearable entails beyond a design that's "responsive, but not intrusive" (what does that even mean?) and its support for both Android and iOS. However, it's safe to say that HP is doing most of the heavy lifting. Like with other Engineered by HP smartwatches, it's supplying the underlying hardware and software while the watch brand focuses mostly on design and manufacturing.
