Wearable Technology from an Apparel Designer’s Perspective

Timeframe: 2019-2024

The concept of wearable technology is currently concerned with products that are more ‘attachable’ than truly wearable. Limitations in the mass production of sufficient materials have restricted the physical manifestation of wearables to hard 3D objects that are only capable of being attached to the body or on clothing. Wearables are often indiscreet, chunky devices that weigh the user down and demand frequent attention. Rather than discreet devices that exist to work with the user performing nuanced functions, wearables are often physically and emotionally intrusive, acting as an additional peripheral to enable the wearer to socialise, quantify or record personal data.

I aim to explore the changing effect that various processes associated with fashion design can have on the design of wearable technology. I will investigate my own knowledge and skillset as an apparel designer with some experience in wearables design, in order to develop a personal understanding of the way these two discrete processes can coalesce.