Zip
Control your music.
Zip is a garment that explores the aesthetics and interaction of wearable technology solutions that have built-in music controls. There are many products on the market today ranging from snowboard jackets to hoodies that allow you to connect your music player and control it using buttons integrated into the textiles. However, most of the solutions simply take the music player's hardware controls and rep- licate them on the sleeve or inside the lapel using eTextiles. Rather than replicating hardware controls into soft textiles, Zip considers some of our basic garment mechanics and integrates the controls into the gestures that we already perform with our clothing.
Key highlights.
Device pocket
The pocket allows you to connect your phone or music player. A retractable connector allows you to pull the device out of your pocket to access it at any time without discon- necting your experience.
Zipper control
The zipper is used to control the volume. As you zip your jacket up, the volume increases. As you unzip, you turn the volume down, opening your- self up to intimacy and conversations.
Integrated earbuds
Earbuds are integrated into the jacket and nested away in the collar. When you want to use them, simply pull them out of the collar. When you're done, pull on the collar pull-straps to retract them back into the collar.
Functional Aesthetics
The pleats are used as the main functional element of the garment that allow you to control the volume. Hard electronic components are replaced by embroidered etextiles that move and bend with your body in a way that is both functional and aesthetic.
