Summary- Fashion and Technology

I'm very passionate about fashion and technology as they both play an extremely significant role in my life. I believe I have covered a wide range of topics relating the two key components, these include 'The Smart- Swim Bikini' with in-built UV monitor,' ' Recycled Fashion,' advertising, retouching, shoe design, fashionable accessories e.g. fashionable phones, television programmes and the technology involved in fashion shoots and parades. I hope you find the topics I covered as interesting as I did.

Dove- Campaign for Real Beauty

DOVE is a renowned brand, producing skin, body cleansing and hair care products. Their mission is to make more women feel beautiful everyday and to educate and inspire all young people on a wider definition of beauty. Dove's recent television advert depicts a young girl and the media and stereotypes surrounding her. We are provided with images from magazines and advertisements on billboards etc, diet pills, slogans reading 'transform your skin,''get the perfect body in ten days' The ad features women with 'ideal and unrealistic body shapes' and others on scales and undertaking surgery. The ad ends with the words featured across the screen 'talk to your daughter before the beauty industry does.' I think this ad is extremely clever and a lot of individuals can relate to it, knowing the pressures to conform to particular stereotypes, presented through the media. The fashion industry presents size six models and movie stars with this idealistic image, as they are responding to beauty pressures, which are everywhere. There are too many girls developing low self-esteem from hang-ups about their looks. This is an issue that affects all people, regardless of age or ethnicity, and it can lead to introversion, a withdrawal from normal life and a waste of potential. Once again I think this ad depicts reality and i'm glad people are trying to fix the problems in society.

Fashion images retouched

As we all know computer retouching is involved in every fashion and beauty image that we see. I found this clip extremely interesting to see what programs like photoshop can offer, made available through technology. Retouching is an industry standard in the world of fashion and consumers are becoming more aware of such technology. Retouching can fix anything from dark circles,to making an individuals complexion come across a few shades darker, it makes people believe there is a cure for acne and can alter the lighting if the photograph was taken from the wrong angle. Retouching can fix everything- don't believe everything you see!

Footloose- The High Low Heel Shoe

I'm constantly looking for new and innovative fashion designs and the most recent development I have found is The High Low Heel Show. This invention relates to shoes and more particularly to low heel shoes which may be quickly converted to high heel shoes and vice versa. Marte den Hollander has been recognized as 'Best Graduate 2006' at the Faculty of Industrial Design, for her project Footloose, which can convert from low to high with a simple switch. Marte den Hollander claims "I designed a shoe with a high heel, which can be changed into a shoe with a low heel. No more extra pairs of shoes in your bag, no more trouble driving a car or walking stairs, no more painful feet, no more knee and ankle damage, a practical shoe without even compromising on your looks. This design is a classic example of a no pain, no gain product. The question for the brief- Would it be possible to make a shoe having all advantages of high heels, just as well as the comfort of flats? The answer, yes, although for such a product to be a serious alternative for regular heels it has to be mechanically and ergonomically sound, and moreover: it has to have allure! The technology in the shoe is evident in the heel shape. It has separate tips for both positions. While being used in one position, the other heel tip is kept out of sight in and opening in the sole. The shoe is being transformed with a simple and quick movement: the individual must pull the heel downwards to release it, after which it can be folded in or out as preferred. The adjustment of the heel position automatically changes the curvature of the sole to fit the altered shape of the foot. The mechanism has been patented. I found this design extremely creative and resourceful as most girls, especially fashion conscious females love their high heel shoes, they are getting two shoes in one at their convenience.

Escalator technology and fashion precinct

I came across this modern fashion precinct catering for the young shoppers in the Siam Paragon, an upscale shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand. It is one of the biggest shopping centers in Asia. Throughout the centre the theme was artistic and expressionistic grafitti and colour on walls, floors and escalators, which move people though the fashion floors. The escalators act as a canvas and blend into the tower while being a functional form of technology disguised as a large artwork. The paintings on the walls create a relaxed and comfortable environment for the teenage shoppers. The furniture was funky and modern, with designated seating areas for the consumers to meet and greet. The centre is young and modern and showcases trendy fashions in Thailand and their designers, including end of year textiles and fashion parades, which I was priviledged to observe.

StellaLuna Advertising- 'Refrigerated Shoes'

On a recent holiday to Bangkok, I came across a visual display in The BMK Fashion building depicting the new StellaLuna range of shoes (Spring/ Summer 2007). The display included 3 large refrigerators covered extrenally with silver metallic fabric and filled with the new range of the labels current silver and gold high heels, also displaying advertising posters for the brand. This was an eye- catching display- innovative, creative and visually appealing. As I am extremely interested in art and fashion I filmed the display (although not very well as you can see from the above clip). I'm always on the lookout for unusual, artistic and ingenious ideas and when looking through my holiday photos I realised the image incorporated both fashion and technology, with the white goods of the fridge and the inclusion of shoes and fabric as the fashion. I didn't know until I further researched the brand and its advertising, which is one of the most innovative marketing and advertising brands throughout Thailand and Asia.

Below are a few links showing the brand's creativity in advertising

http://www.10ad.org/stella-shoes-ads/

http://www.10ad.org/stella-luna-ad-prints/

The Inflatable Dress- Fashion and technology united!

Fashion designers Diana Eng, who many of you might remember from 'Project Runway' on Fox8 and Emily Albinski first made headlines when their 'Inflatable Dress' made the cover of ID Magazine last fall. The duo aim to push forward technology in the fashion world. The designers are including biological and technological concepts with fashion, which is giving them a great edge in the fashion world. The 'Inflatable Dress' is designed to incorporate a hacked vacuum cleaner to inflate the dress and give it volume. A plastic cast corset with lots of switches embedded in it completes the look. The gown fits closely to the body but inflates to become bell shaped with tendril-like spikes on the back and large pillows of air on the sides. The silhouette of the gown can be changed by varying the amount of air. ID Magazine included the caption "never has a vacuum cleaner looked so sexy!" Personally, I think the dress is extremely creative and think it would look great in an exhibition or museum, although I can't see this dress being worn on a night out, although I think that the designers achieved their goal in making 'the fashion-minded more interested in the research process, and the scientifically minded more interested in fashion as a form of self-expression.' The often disparate worlds of fashion and technology are being united to create an artform which will resonate appreciation and innovation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI6WwpH4sQw Fashion Meets Technology- This is the YouTube video of the fashion parade of these two designers and if you fast forward to 7:41- 8:26 you will se 'The Inflatable Dress' being modelled.

Eighties Fashion makes a Comeback!

Ever wished you were a teenager in the eighties? A time of lycra, leg warmers, catsuits and big hair? Well never mind, because 80's fashion has made a comeback, what's old is new again. Turn the clock back a good 20 years or so and you're back on the cutting edge. Fashion trendsetters have rediscovered the looks of the 1980s. We are re-visiting the dolman sleeve, leggings, the mod mini dress, the bubble ruffle dress, Chanel, the oversized dress sweater, catsuits, jumpsuits, fluoro and wedge high heels. We all wish our mum's hung onto their old clothes, although no-one knew the trends were going to move in a circular motion. Every season some fashion trend collecting dust in our parents closets emerges once again as the height of fashion. When we think of our favourite movies such as Flashdance and Dirty Dancing we are taken back in time and although now in a more modern context we envisage leggings worn for both day and night occasions. The fashions from the past are re- emerging and through modern technologies a modern take has been introduced. Also through technology we are able to consult the media for the past looks and history of our culture.

Related websites-

80's Fashion Strikes Back

http://media.www.qcknightnews.com/media/storage/paper564/news/2006/10/19/Features/80s-Fashion.Strikes.Back-2383472.shtml

Get a leg up on this '80s fashion comeback!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13047651/

Eighties Fashion File

http://www.prebble.com/80sFashionFile.html

'Smart- Swim Bikini' with in-built UV monitor to prevent sunbathers from skin cancer...

Technology, culture, fashion and the media all collide with the inreoduction of a bikini with an in- built UV meter. Concern about rising skin cancer rates especially in Australia with our beach culture have led swimwear company 'Solestrom' to design a bikini with this UV monitor to tell you 'when you're done!' "Every year around 8,000 cases of malignant melanoma are diagnosed in the UK, causing almost 1800 deaths" (Cancer Research UK). Solestrom spokeswoman, Emily Garassa stated, "there's so much concern about sun exposure and skin cancer that we saw the demand and designed something to be safe for the wearer," The $190 Solestrom SmartSwim UV Meter Bikini sports a built in waterproof UV meter that monitors the amount of skin-damaging rays you're exposed to, letting you know when you're 'medium rare.' This 'Smart- Swim Bikini' includes technological aspects- the UV intensity is measured and displayed on a level between 0 and 20, with anything above 11, considered 'extreme,' and a reading between 3 and 5 a 'moderate' level of risk. When the reading reaches a level that is regarded as 'too high,' the bikini alerts the individual with a beeping alarm, warning the sunbather to 'cover up.' The bikini pictured is just one of the designs by Solestrom and as you can see they are fashionable while also offering this sun- safe and technological device.

A few websites with information on the Solestrom bikin's and in- built UV monitor-

www.thisnext.com/item/5750758D/Oregon-Scientific-Personal-UV

http://www.therawfeed.com/2006/07/uv-monitor-bikini-tells-you-when-youre.html

blogofwishes.com/trendy-clothes/solestrom-smartswim-uv-intensity-bikini/

A jacket that turns into a backpack and pillow!

A jacket that turns into a backpack and pillow? Is there such a thing? Yes! Xip3 hybrid revolution gear have designed this three function form of technology, perfect for any individual travelling as it is versatile, functional and climate friendly. This servicable 'jack pack' converts from a jacket into a backpack by flipping straps out from a pocket in the liner and folding the body inside. Also, Zippered compartments provide a fairly reasonable amount of space, equivalent to a small daypack. This jacket will be retailed at $500. The advanced technology includes a water repellent, fast drying shell made with 'Schoeller's 3XDRY' which repels moisture and is highly breathable. Uses 'EcoSmart' fleece lining, a silky-soft 100% recycled polyester providing outstanding warmth & breathability. This versatile jacket is available in a variety of fashionable colours- Black with orange trim, orange with black trim, black with red trim and red with black trim. This functional item includes various practical devices. The jacket includes: A two way zipper, zippered and cargo sleeve pockets, chest pocket with mp3 player outlet, reflective piping, velcro cuffs and a stow- away hood. The backpack shows reflective piping, reflective logo, mesh bottle pocket, main compartment, front pocket and collar stow away flap. Finally, the pillow reveals a waterproof stain resistant side and soft super stretch material. Fashion and technology are definately being incorporated in this concept. A practical and fashionable item in one, what more can we ask for?

Check out the site and view all of the latest technologies, even if it is just to see how advanced technology is becoming. From the Xip3 'Jack Pack' to 'The Towel-Matic Touch-less Paper towel dispenser', to the 'Mini Kitchen.'

digitalgraffiti.typepad.com/.../06/index.html

'Fashion TV- Fashion and technology united!'

An example of a segment from Fashion TV.

'Fashion TV- Fashion and technology united!'

'Fashion TV' is an international TV channel dedicated to fashion, broadcasts 24 hours a day on satellites and cable systems. FTV is the only 24 hours / 7 days fashion, beauty and style TV station worldwide and provides glamorous entertainment with emphasis on the latest trends. "
FTV is the first global media vehicle to deliver the latest fashion trends, models, events, news and gossip. FTV is first in information - when it happens, where it happens."
This Beauty and Fashion Channel has access to all of the latest Fashion TV programming from which it cultivates a daily six-hour block of haute couture programming and trend-setting style videos, including video diaries of top designers, interviews with leading models and an insider's view of style at the most glamorous parties and fashion shows on the planet. Fashion and technology interlinked once again and within the television we are presented with parades, shoots and launches which all emcompass other significant items of technology e.g. cameras, lighting, styling tools etc. Another form of technology makes Fashion TV available worldwide-broadcasts in 202 countries to over 300 million households. Based in Paris, France, since 1997, Fashion TV is broadcast on 38 satellites and over thousands of cable operators.

'Fashion shoots and technology'

Fashion photo shoots involve a lot of background work and lots of technological equipment, have a look...

'Mercedes- Benz CLK Giorgrio Armani Design Car'

Fashion is apparent not only in clothes, but also in accessories, shoes and even hairstyles. It can be applied to people, as well as to architecture, car design and works of art. In fact, practically anything can fashionable. Car design is a form of fashion, always changing, it can never be predicted, and often looks to the past for answers to the future. Luxury auto makers are paying attention to high fashion. Throughout the decades of car design there have been many events and technological advances which have helped bring about major design trend changes. New technologies have made it possible for more complicated compound curves and forms of a cars body to be built at a speedier rate. Although, advances in non- automotive technology and lifestyle have also had their impact on car design.

Mercedes-Benz and Giorgio Armani announced the start of a new joint cooperative venture, the first initiative being the creation of the Mercedes-Benz CLK Giorgio Armani Design Car. Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice President, Mercedes Car Group said "Giorgio Armani’s philosophy of style, elegance, innovation and quality resonate strongly with our own brand strategy." Design and style clearly dominateo our world, which and in this situation provide a fundamental and inspiring basis for promising collaborative initiatives. Dr Schmidt also states,"we are happy to be able to share our ’Passion for Design & Style’ with one of the most important fashion designers of our time." Giorgio Armani's concept in designing the color and material for the car was inspired by fashion history, aiming to bring back that sense of handcraftsmanship that one associates with vintage cars, thereby creating a modern, timeless and ultra-elegant feeling. Fashion and technology are definately interlinkeed in this case and even more as I note that the display of the Mercedes-Benz CLK Giorgio Armani Design Car will be introduced and presented during Milan Fashion Week.

The reason I decided to write about car design and how it has become both fashionable and an important element of technology is because I just recently got a new BMW and I can't believe how advanced the technology is and how great the car looks.

Fashion internships only available via The Internet

As we all know, Myspace is an extremely popular social networking site, offering an interactive, user-submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music, fashion and videos internationally. Fashion labels are easy to access and recently through Myspace, 'V- raw' have launched a site as a hub for design, fashion and music. They are offering to make dream jobs become reality through internships. They are Australia's most creative minds helping you get your foot in the door. The Myspace site shows a video of the fashion editor for Cosmopolitan magazine, Nicole Adolphe and she states 'this internship is a great opportunity, these job opportunities aren't included in newspapers or magazines, this is the only way to get your foot in the door.' I thought this was amazing, especially as it highlights the links between our modern culture, fasion, the media and technology.

Check out the site http://www.myspace.com/vraw

Mobile phone design and merchandising

Mobile phones are more than just a communication device, they can echo your personal style. The public presentation of the mobile phone has been carefully crafted, typical of all commercialised products. In the past 2 years, a couture collection of phones has been unveiled. LG have produced the 'Prada' phone and if you are not really a labels type of person you might not be familiar with the brand. Prada is a well- known Italian fashion companywith retail outlets world-wide. Consumer electronics brand, Motorola, have also released a mobile phone, teaming up with another high-end fashion house 'Dolce and Gabbana.' These phones have brought a new level to the mobile phone arena. We must note that fashion is not only interlinked with the mobile phone product itself but its advertising too.

A modern, futuristic design impulse is strongly articulated in advertising campaigns for mobile communication, evident in numerous mobile phone ads. The emphasis on stylish design, elite status and fashion appears to have a central part of marketing. Recent mobile phone ads underscore the continuing importance of fashion in the public presentation of the technology. One of the adverts is a photograph, set in Budapest airport, taken in 2004. It shows a pedestrian passing in front of a lit billboard style ad. The ad depicts two high fashion items: a luxury watch and a designer purse, accompanied by a siemens phone. The equivalence is clear. As the photograph was being taken, a stylish lady, engaged with her own mobile phone, passed in front of the billboard ad and is captured in the foreground. The lateral space of an airport can provide a unique environment within which to promote mobile phones. The long corridors can be used to project extended images of mobile phones as statements of fashion and lifestyle. Fashion remains then an important aspect to mobile phone design and merchandising.

Walking Miracle

Im focusing on footwear yet again! I came across these sandals today called 'fitflops,' they are a half fashion friendly sandal and half muscle toning. At first I thought how can a sandal be regarded as a fitness product? I did a bit of research and found that the fitflop has a unique density midsole that increases muscle load and mantians a more natural gait. I work in shoes so I know all of the terminology, but to break that down, it means that the sole is shaped in a particular way and allows for a natural progression through the foot. When wearing the fitflop greater power is required by the calf at push off and the slower eversion rate creates a significantly longer activation time in the calf, thigh and buttocks. With the sole of the sandal creating an uneven walking surface, the fitflop challenges the muscles to maintain control over locomotion and improve gait. There is a growing awareness of how specifically designed footwear can improve health and wellness. With frequent use, improved gait characteristics may reduce the incidence of some musculoskeletal problems. This is a great way to show how technology and fashion are intertwined. Through the use of technology our fashion accessories are becoming practical and improving our health and wellbeing. After seeing the fitflop in a store at my local shopping centre i've seen advertisements in Vogue, on television, a segment on today tonight, they are being advertised everywhere through technology and media. The slogan is "so how do you feel about wearing a flip flop that has the potential to make your bum smaller and your leags leaner? I thought so. Me too." "The fitflop midsole extends the amount of time that the slow twitch muscles are engaged during each step (by approximately 10- 12%). Slow twitch muscle fibres produce energy by converting fats into energy aerobically." Anyway, enough about the research and technology behind this seasons 'must have' according to leading magazine- Vogue. They come in a variety of fashionable colours, including, black, red and blue and as a fashion obsessed female I couldn't resist and purchased a pair of red ones, I can't wait until they start toning!

http://www.thefitflop.com/

Nike+ a new technology in sports shoes

Nike is a majorAmerican supplier of athletic shoes, apparel and sports equipment. Nike have recently incorporated fashion and technology through the Nike+. Nike+ is designed for people who like to run or walk with music and people who want to measure and monitor their progress vs their goals. Nike+ is an innovative product and information system that enhances a running experience. A sensor placed under the sockliner of the left Nike+ ready shoe measures a runners pace, distance, time elapsed and calories burned. This information is transmitted wirelessly to a reciever on an Apple ipod nano for real- time audio feedback while individuals listen to their favourite workout music. All current Nike shoes have a space under the sockliner where the chip is placed and as an add on sale individuals are able to purchase this Nike+ ipod sport kit for $47.95. This technological advancement proves that fashion and technology are soon going to be inextricably connected. People are able to wear a fashionable shoe as it records their progress, what will be next?

Credit cards both technological and fashionable

After reading the three fashion magazines that I buy monthly (Cosmopolitan, Shop till you drop and Vogue) I realised that credit cards are a great form of technology. Being a system of payment through a small plastic card. As well as convenient, accessible credit, credit cards offer consumers an easy way to track expenses for personal expenditures and work related expenses for taxation and repayment purposes. Credit cards are accepted worldwide and are available with a variety of credit limits, repayment arrangements and now different designs and colours. Different institutions have designed various colours and images on cards to make them appear fashionable and as an appealing accessory.

Bonds- a global brand

As we all know, Bonds is an Australian manufacturer of men's, women's and children's underwear and clothing and when we hear the name we all envisage and relate its trademark 'Chesty Bond,' which is recognised as a popular national icon. Although the company has come a long way since 1915, when George Allan Bond established the corporation in Sydney to import a range of womens hosiery and gloves. Two years later he manufactured hosiery in a small factory in Redfern and the following year he purchased a small factory in Camperdown, where he began manufacturing underwear. Mens cotton athletic singlets were one of Bonds original products registered in the 1920's. In the same decade George Bond was growing the cotton and spinning, dyeing and weaving the fabric to make Bonds underwear. In 1938 Bonds requested its advertising agency to develop a campaign for mens athletic singlets, and 'Chesty Bond' was created and registered. Bonds continued to grow and with the help of technology more products were created and within the four factories (3 located in New South Wales and the other in China) at least 40 million garments are produced each year.

I found these statistics interesting:

Unanderra- New South Wales

-48,000 garments per day

-10.6 million per year

-150 full time employees

Wentworthville- New South Wales

-7,500 garments per day

-1.7 million per year

-60 full time employees

Cessnock- New South Wales

-20,000 garments per day

-4.5 million per year

-85 full time employees

China- Taiping and Shanghai

-111,000 garments per day

-24.4 million per year

-1800 employees

After reading those statistics all I could think was how effective production is through the use of technology. I went on to the Bonds website http://www.bonds.com.au/pdf/Summary.pdf and read about the fibres, yarns and fabrics,the dyeing techniques and the decorating of fabric, all possible through technology and machinery. The report stated 'all machines are fully automated and computerised,' 'most of our fabrics are knitted on 'circular' knitting machines of various gauges' and 'we engage the services of skilled people who have specialised expertise in knitting, sewing and making up.' Through the advancement of technology Bonds has become a global brand renowned around the world and as portrayed through advertising and media is recognised and interrelated with Australian culture. Bonds also has a clothing line to date.

Ipods- the latest fashion accessory

Ipod is a brand of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple. Launched in October 1991, the ipod stores media on an internal hard drive and also using flash memory. "Ipods have won several awards ranging from engineering excellence to most innovative audio product, to fourth best computer product of 2006" (Kanellos 2006:2). IPods often receive favorable reviews; scoring on looks, clean design, and ease of use. The iPod has sparked an extraordinary ecosystem of over 4,000 accessories made specifically for the iPod that range from fashionable cases to speaker systems. Colour cases are available and can be swapped whenever the listener feels they want a change. Such cases proved to be a popular innovation that designers have come up with accessories such as carry cases to transport multiple ipods. The ultimate iPod accessory is Fendi's Juke Box created by Karl Lagerfield. A $1,500 carrying case for transporting multiple iPods. Lagerfield believes that iPods completely changed the way people approach music and sees them as a positive modernisation, owning 40 ipods for perswonal use. "The technology of ipods inspired him to create the iPod carrying cases for Fendi, and he allowed that their shape and materials could also be inspiring for fashion in general" (Kahney 2005: 1). http://www.wired.com/gadgets/mac/news/2004/05/63423

Danika Cleary, Apple's iPod product manager, said, "The iPod has become iconic, and fashion designers have picked up on it. It's a fashion item in itself." Designers have noted this innovation is a popular gadget and have realised they can make a profit through creating accessories. In our hedonistic culture of mass consumption individuals feel they need new innovations to move forward in the fashion stakes and with society. The ipod has proven that technology can be fashionable and through the media and advertising, the ipod is promoted as a fashion forward item that incorporates the idea of wearable technology.

Related articles:

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7468

http://reviews.ebay.com/iPod-Fashion-Craze-updated_W0QQugidZ10000000000009149

http://lowendmac.com/archive/05/0304.html

http://cjwriter.com/2007/08/10/is-an-ipod-the-latest-fashion-accessory/

Fashion advertising

Advertising is paid, one-way communication through a medium in which the sponsor is identified and the message is controlled. Every major medium is used to deliver these messages, including: television, radio, movies, magazines, newspapers, the Internet and billboards. These forms of mass media act as means of conveying a message, aiming to promote and sell a product and to draw the customer to the object being endorsed. The message is to persuade you to try something, to tell you about something, to encourage you to try a new product and to convince you that you need to buy a new product. Martin Hooper is a London based commercial advertising photographer with his majority of experience including fashion photography and campaigns. His work is renowned and seen on billboards all over America. http://www.martinhooper.com/

Advertising is possible through technology as images are created, enhanced and made appealing through computer programmes e.g. photoshop.This programming and technology offers the tool of airbrushing making the items of clothing look more flattering on the body. Advertising is a way the media portray the image of how people should like and make individuals feel self conscious and not comfortable within themselves. There is much media controversy on the topic and especially in regard to skinny models in advertising campaigns.

Just a few quotes:

* Australian fashion models generally have more "meat on their bones" and look healthier than those in Europe and the United States, says top designer Wayne Cooper.

*"Clothes look better on thin people, the fabric hangs better on bodies that are comparatively featureless. Designers like to work with a plain canvas as it’s all about highlighting the clothes." Alex Perry

*"For me as a designer, I would never knowingly use a model who was anorexic, but the simple fact is that we employ these girls as moving coat-hangers. "We’re not looking for sex appeal or to hold a mirror up to the woman on the street, we're trying to shift clothes to the store buyers, and I personally think that a slender figure is the best way to show them off." Kim Molloy

Related websites:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=405600&in_page_id=1879

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22062136-5011860,00.html

http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=378561

The future of fashion and technology

Fashion is really just starting to interact with the information technology world. Today there are already 'cool' gadgets and wearables, but tomorrow, we will see whole new domains where fashion can play a key role.
The biggest of these is the duality of appearance - where we may appear one way in the physical world, and have a whole range of digital appearances in the augmented reality and virtual environment worlds. This will lead to many people designing for themselves.
Along the way, electronics will continue to shrink in size to a point where it no longer significantly need affect the form of the object that carries it. Form and function will be separated, at least as far information technology is concerned.
Fashion is often at the forefront of technology usage. Many new materials and technologies are used in textiles and accessories when they are still too expensive or primitive for other uses.
The next decades will see the gradual convergence of nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology and cognitive technologies. Typical results will be materials with different tensile, thermal and optical properties, integration of onformation technology into fabrics, and linkage of our bodies to the network for medical and communication purposes, via clothing or skin-wearables.
Thin, flexible displays are becoming available already, and we will undoubtedly see them built into clothing with increasing frequency. This will be both for body adornment and functional uses.
A wide range of electronic devices can already be built into clothes and this will increase. New fabrics are already being developed to provide power generation - using solar power, electromagnetic, thermal and mechanical means.
Storage technology is improving extremely quickly and we may expect massive amounts of storage to be available in very small volumes, so that people can take all their files, music and videos with them - integrated invisibly into small devices or clothes.
As local production becomes more widespread, self design may become very popular indeed. How much this affects the market for professional fashion designers will thus depend on how much relative skill and creativity they really have, as well as on how much effort people can be bothered to invest in designing themselves.

For further information and reports- http://www.nanotec.org.uk/finalReport.htm

Internet shopping

"Technology refers to the branch of knowledge that deals with science and engineering, or its practice, as applied to industry"(Malouf 1998: 1203). Through technology we must acknowledge the notion of efficiency in terms of human productivity and especially recognise the positive device recognised as 'The Internet.' The Internet became fully available in 1991 and offers electronic interaction between people, although another popular function of The Internet is for personal shopping for those who dont have much spare time, live too far from shops or live in small towns where there isn't much variety. The evolution of the "information age" in retail is mirrored in the exponential growth of fashion web pages, in the 21st Century connecting to the web for some retail therapy isn't anything out of the ordinary. Ebay, an online auction and shopping website which I'm definately aware of, was founded in 1995 and offers clothing, collectibles, appliances, computers, furniture, equipment, vehicles and other miscellaneous items. Although Ebay isn't the only website available for online shopping, type 'online shopping' into google and you will be made aware of how many different websites are available and the large variety of products ready to be sold. MyCatwalk.com- http://www.mycatwalk.com.au/pages/home.html is an internationally avalible website offering clothes and accessories from top designers, a more exclusive range of clothes than the ones readily available in shops and yes they are often a little more pricy although i've done my own research and noted the price of the items in shops (when and if you ever find the articles) isn't raised for Internet sales, it has been the same. Delivery is efficient, within Australia it is between 4 and 6 days and internationally it can take up to 2 weeks. The consumer culture of modern society is being supported by technology and if technology continues to advance who knows what we will be offered in another decade? Clothing purchases brought to our doorsteps within a few hours... Seem far fetched? No, not really.

Fashion- The media's influence

The media are human communication systems which use processes of industrialised technology for producing messages. The media, which includes press, radio, television and cinema, have become the place through which we recieve most of our information. In their representations, the media give us explanations and ways of understanding the world in which we live, also including other people and ourselves. A question which is commonly asked- are we automatically affected and controlled by forces outside ourselves or do we have freedom and autonomy to make our own decisions? I argue that we are programmed and controlled by forces outside of our control (including the media), but through our own feelings and rationality we have the ability to question and change things. This question interlinks well within the fashion industry. When we think about fashion and the media I automatically think of television programs such as 'Australia's Next Top Model,' 'What Not to Wear' and 'Queer eye for the straight guy,' each of these shows is created around the concept of image and how individuals should look. The media produces images via magazines, television shows and cinema of models and actresses portraying an ideal image of what to wear and how the rest of society should look. Jennifer Aniston quoted in Vanity Fair, May 2001, "the media create this wonderful illusion-but the amount of airbrushing that goes into those beauty magazines, the hours of hair and makeup! It's impossible to live up to, because it's not real." http://www.hilary.com/fashion/bikini.html

Contemporary society is hedonistic and our culture is a lot more materialistic and image based. Due to advanced technology the media is readily available worldwide to influence individuals and paint a picture of how we should look, this is evident in every television show we watch. Home and Away, a show aired at 7:00 weeknights aimed at teenagers, demonstrates this idea with individuals being categorised as 'cool' and 'popular,' through the way they look and dress. The media acts as a vehicle of influence and information and through advancements in technology individuals world wide can access it.

Fashion and computer technologies

Fashions are always changing and using a computer enables illustrators to respond to the fast moving world of fashion. I’ve always been interested in the illustrations by Patrick Morgan and when I was thinking of what I could write about linking both fashion and technology I thought this example might be interesting to my readers.

Patrick Morgan started his career as a freelance designer after completing a degree in Graphics and Illustration and has provided works for advertising campaigns including Selfridges, Hewlett Packard, 3 Mobile, Impulse, The Body Shop, Levi’s and British Airways. He created images for advertising campaigns, while also pursuing his interest in illustrations created via computer for fashion campaigns and design.

The art of fashion illustration is to give the viewer an insight into whats in current high fashion magazines. Taking cuttings and writings from magazines and websites is a good way to keep you up to date with what’s on the catwalks. Patrick Morgan encapsulates all elements of fashion into contemporary illustration. Most of Patrick Morgan’s work uses a combination of traditional drawing techniques and computer rendering – the computer enables him to perform updates easily and also speeds up the whole production process.

Advanced computer technologies have allowed for fashion illustrations to be sketched digitally, rather than sketched by hand, creating a professional and efficient illustration. Before a garment or item of clothing is produced it must be designed and the image must be recorded on paper with details including buttons, zippers, pockets, colours, measurements, fabric etc.

Fashion illustrators create accurate images out of ideas, representing products as diverse as hairstyles and spectacle frames. This includes work as a forecasting illustrator for prediction services, where predictions have not yet been realised and photographs cannot be used. Their work must be clear enough to be used effectively by the manufacturing and production team, as well as media and retail outlets.

FASHION- "Denim jeans"

After days of trying to work out the subject for my blogs I have come to the conclusion of 'fashion', broad topic i know but it is something that shapes my life and i think technology, media and culture interlink well within the subject.

My first blog is going to cover an item of fashion, that being 'denim jeans'.

Denim jeans have become a powerful form of popular culture, especially over the past 50 years.

Loeb (later Levi) Strauss arrived in San Fransisco in the 1850s during the time of the Californian gold rushes with a load of calico that he intended to use to produce tents for the miners, although he found there was a surplus of tents but a shortage of quality material for the production of durable trousers. Levi Strauss had the canvas made into waist overalls. Miners liked the pants, but complained that they tended to chafe. Levi Strauss substituted a twilled cotton cloth from France called "serge de Nimes." The fabric later became known as denim and the pants were nicknamed 'blue jeans'. Initially, 'blue jeans' or 'denim jeans' were sturdy trousers worn by workers in factories, especially in World War II, although over time denim jeans became a symbol of mild protest against conformity and are now the preferred attire of the new adolescents and other members of society, with a large variety of styles e.g. flares, painted, stone- washed, marbled, stretch, skin- tight, skinny leg, boy cut, boot cut, dirty, light and dark denim. Denim jeans have become almost a way of life- a part of our consumer and popular culture. The media portray pictures of celebrities and the fashion elite sporting denim jeans on numerous pages of magazines, newspapers and on television. Through these images a message is portrayed to society revolving around the ideology that jeans are accepted and considered 'trendy.'

Technology is a major aspect that assists with the production and variety of jeans available so

I also looked into the way jeans are made.

I found the process went from:

1. The design being drawn by a pattern maker (based upon measurements)

2. A person or 'a computer program' then calculates the optimal fabric consumption. (The process being made quicker and easier through advanced technology)

3. The denim is then cut via a textile cutting machine (once again we need the help of technology)

4. Jeans are then sewn together via a sewing machine

5. Jeans are then distributed to a washing plant where different looks are achieved through different washing times and different amounts of pumice stone. (washing machines are another form of advanced technology)

6. Buttons and rivets are attached

7. Then onto the packing room where labels and tags are attached

8. Jeans are then placed in a poly bag with a warning text and packed in a box and shipped world wide.

Interesting facts that I found:

An average jeans factory can manufacture approximately one pair of denim jeans every 15 minutes and 2500 pairs of jeans per day and when you think of the process with the inclusion of a zipper, buttons, rivets and labels without technology the fashion industry would be no where near as advanced as it is today.

The website I reviewed and provided in the link below shows images of the different machines for each handling.

http://jeans.information.in.th/how_they_make_jeans.html

Another interesting fact about jeans... Levis Jeans have an option on their website

http://www.levis.com.au/

to individually design your own jeans. Through web- selling via the computer/ Internet the company is offering consumers with a unique garment of brand labelled clothing.

I found the study of denim jeans interesting as they began as wear in the workforce and with the help of technology have become probably the most popular fashion item.