The fusion of tech and fashion is gradually seeing both industries move from competing for the consumer's attention and wallets to collaborating for same, and for the end user, this translates to a lot of benefits, most notably looking fashionable and techy at the same time, and consequently, a drastic reduction in the costs that would otherwise have been incurred for anyone to remain up to date in both industries.
Now, rather than having to buy a wristwatch and a separate fitness tracker, for example, you can just buy a smartwatch that has a fitness tracking app on it.
The good thing is: the fusion of technology and fashion doesn't stop at this level. Other than just infusing some technology into wears to "get the job done", the hybrid fashion-tech industry keeps evolving, and doing so more aesthetically.
Fashion and technology have both had a lot of influence on each other, and this influence keeps getting stronger by the day.
He said there are three major areas in which tech is shaping the future of fashion:
1. Wearable Technology
2. Production
3. Marketing and Distribution
1. Wearable Technology
In the previous decade who could have thought that our everyday clothing and accessories could incorporate computers and advanced technologies and still remain affordable for those interested in them?
It would have sounded like some science fiction idea.
Though wearable technology is still at its early stage, it's obvious that this concept has come to stay for good – and can only get better. We can only get more wowed with the almost impossible inventions springing up by the day.
Wearable technology has gradually gone beyond smartwatches, and even Virtual Reality (VR); we're already seeing ideas like color-changing or ink-shifting clothing, jackets that heat up to regulate body temperature in any weather, dresses that light up, and rings that can control almost anything without the need for charging – and many others.
Technology is really changing clothing and accessories, and will definitely continue to shape this part of our lives for a very long time. All we have to do is keep watching and keep getting wowed – and keep getting spoiled for choice.
The fashion consumer can get easy access to available wearable technology on platforms like Broochy, an online boutique that allows for independent fashion brands to offer their unique collections to customers via the website, and also helps them deliver worldwide.
2. Production
Tech has really affected the production of fashion items, as brands are now leaning towards satisfying the tech-hungry consumer. It has especially influenced their design and manufacturing.
Regular wristwatch brands now incorporate tech in their designs, with little alteration to their original looks. So we now have a hybrid of jewelry and tech, and we can only see more of this in the future, as consumers now really want their favorite wristwatch brand to incorporate some technology, and their favorite wearable technologies to look more aesthetic.
He added that other than shaping designs, the next level in fashion production is 3D printing. 3D-printed clothes are beginning to surface on fashion runways, and it's just a matter of time, 3D-printed fashion will become the norm in everyday clothing.
We can compare this technology to what computers and smartphones were decades ago. In coming years, there will be easily affordable 3D printing, and individuals might own 3D printers. Just imagine buying a dress you like online and printing it out right there in your bedroom. The possibilities are simply amazing.
3. Marketing and Distribution
This is another area technology is already influencing fashion, and it can only get better in the future.
Fashion brands already take advantage of technology, in form of web, apps, social media, mobile, etc, to promote themselves and market their products. And we already have many independent fashion websites, and tons of fashion-specific apps, like Wish, Shop Style, and "Live from the Red Carpet", that provide easier access to fashion.
Beyond this, brands will begin to exploit technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) to give the consumer a 3-dimensional and non-static feel of their products, Augmented Reality (AR) to give shoppers a real-life view of how exactly fashion items would look on the body, chatbots to allow fans interact with the brand – in form of animations, GIFs, emojis, etc; and other futuristic technologies.
There's no doubt that the impact technology will be having on the future of fashion will be a very heavy one, and like all great concepts, it's for the good of all involved – tech experts, fashion brands, and the consumer. Just make sure you keep up.