GPS-embedded lingerie

Lucia Loria, a Brazillian designer, has created a line of lingerie called Find me if you can that includes an embedded GPS tracking system and it has caused quite a stir. According to the designer via Wired: "It's not a modern chastity belt, says the designer, but instead could become a lifesaver, as a safety device on a night out."

Now, my first question is why would I want a GPS tracking system in my underwear? This is froth with red flags and it seems to be an example of where concept and implementation do not meet. If safety is the goal, I challenge the designer to push the concept, find ways to understand what the real problems/needs are, and solve those.

Read more on the controversy here.

"Walking City" kinetic dresses

Montreal-based fashion designer, Ying Gao, takes movement in fashion and garments to a whole new level. One of her recent collections, titled Walking City, includes three garments that respond to movement, wind and touch. The monochromatic garments seem simple, but they beautifully tailor an integrated complex web of air pumps and sensors that allow the garment to react and move.

Walk up close to the garment and it reacts to your proximity to it. Or blow softly and it reacts to the breeze. This brings a new aesthetic to the intangible forms that the garments react to that is both playful and gorgeous.

The following video shows a garment that includes a proximity sensor, which allows it to react to the proximity of a nearby person:

The following video shows a garment that reacts to wind. Breathe into a wind sensor and the garment opens and expands, mimicking you by appearing as if it's taking its own breath:

Additional resources via designboom.com and talk2myshirt.com

Wireless wearable workshop, Dec 14

NYCResistor just announced a new workshop that will be focusing on building wireless wearables in New York December 14th! Here's what they say about the workshop:

"Get ready to explore the delights of mutual connectivity with the soon-to-be released XBee LilyPad! This class will introduce the communication and construction techniques necessary to create wireless wearables. We'll start by learning how to communicate using XBee radios, including digital, analog, input and output modes along with an overview of other useful features. Once we've made contact, we'll translate our circuits onto fabric, learning how to make flexible, durable, and attractive connections between components using conductive textiles and threads. By the end of the class, we'll have our soft circuits conversing wirelessly and you'll be ready to create your own clothing, toy or tapestry that talks!"

Conductive woven textiles

Clemens Winkler is exploring conductive-woven cloth that he creates on a traditional textile loom. He uses conductive thread that he weaves into the pattern of the textile. This allows electronic circuitry to be integrated directly into the fabric, which results in flexible and washable electronic-ready textiles.

Since the conductive thread is thicker and a slightly different color than the base thread, Winkler explores the aesthetic of circuitry by using the difference in properties to establish a pattern. The result is a beautiful pattern that is also electronically functional.

Illuminated bike jacket

PDD in London partnered with Goose Design to develop this gorgeous sports-tech garment called Illum aimed toward bikers and their safety. Here's how it works according to PDD: "[We] employed a range of technologies to drive lighting, power, conductivity and switching in a discreet and elegant way that would not compromise usability. When activated by graphical soft switches, an electroluminescent print provides a 360 degree light source, which disappears when switched off. These features are powered by a solar charged thin film battery which activates the lighting via a transparent conductive layer."

The garment addresses concerns with safety for bikers while merging fashion with functionality. The result is a beautiful washable and flexible garment that is functional for the biker to wear during tough courses and keeps the biker safe in conditions with low or no light.

Copper-woven antennae

Christy Matson is a designer investigating the interaction of textiles and the possibilities when electronics are woven into them. Her recent project called Plain Weave Variations explores copper that is woven directly into the fabric to act as flexible antennae. As described by Matson, "When a viewer touches the weavings, the scores generated from the patterns on the weavings will be played for the viewer through speakers mounted on the wall." Matson is turning a simple fabric into a soft sonic material by weaving the copper directly into it.

What I love about this piece is that she adopts Martin Thompson's geometry-based aesthetics into her copper weaving, resulting in an interface that is seamlessly integrated into the fabric. And even the speaker is beautiful.