Models wearing Google Glass eyewear, Pebble
smartwatches and other hot gadgets strutted a catwalk late Monday as Internet
technology continued to merge with the world of fashion.
A Digital Fall fashion show here marked the close of
the first Glazed Conference devoted to setting the stage for wearable computing
startups to become billion-dollar businesses.
"It looks like technology for the sake of
technology is dead," said Eliane Fiolet, co-founder of popular technology
news website Ubergizmo.com and organizer of the fashion show.
"People want a great piece of technology that
works well and looks great."
Companies are increasingly tuning into desires for
sophisticated gadgets that also let people express personal styles, she noted.
Jawbone lets people customize colors of Jambox wireless
speakers that synch wirelessly to smartphones, tablets, or laptop computers.
Nike allows people visiting its website to design their
own ahtletic shoes, and matches some sports attire with wearable devices that
track daily active for those chasing fitness goals.
"There will be more and more integration with
fashion and technology," Fiolet said. "We are just at the very start
of it."
She believed that Google has touched on a winning
formula with Google Glass Internet-linked eyewear, which have become a fashion
trend in the San Francisco and Silicon Valley areas.
"We are in the next stage of human
evolution," said Glazed Conference organizer Redg Snodgrass, co-founder of
Stained Glass Labs startup accelerator devoted to revving up the wearable
computing industry.
"Entrepreneurs aren't those nerds living in a
closet anymore," Snodgrass said as the fashion show was about to commence
in a club not far from Twitter's headquarters in San Francisco. "They are
out there pushing the limit. Anything that is technologically fascinating is
sexy, and fashion is tied to that."
While fitness has been a winning theme for early
wearable computing devices, such as UP and Fitbit bracelets for providing
feedback on whether people are hitting activity and sleep goals, Snodgrass
thinks films and games will be the next areas to catch fire.
The one-day Glazed Conference was intended to bring
together entrepreneurs, investors and others to explore ways to realize ideas
and make money in the world of wearable computing.
"Not only did they show up, they brought the
heat," Snodgrass said of the turnout. "They brought some great
stuff."
Among the attendees was self-described
'cybertechnician' Tyler Freeman, who sported Drum Pants lined with sensors that
let him play percussion beats by slapping various spots on his legs. The sensor
strips are held in place with Velcro, meaning they can be swapped between pieces
of a wardrobe, he explained.
"The goal is to get banned in public schools; then
we know we are a success," said the San Francisco-based entrepreneur.
Tapping on Drum Pants sends signals wirelessly to
smartphones, which then direct thumps or synthesized sounds to come from
speakers. The sensors could be used to control PowerPoint presentations or
Google Glass cameras with casual touches of a leg, according to Freeman.
Fiolet already has her sites set on next year's show,
with hopes of being able to showcase creations of London-based CuteCircuit, the
cyber chic fashion house that wowed the world with a "Twitter Dress"
worn by a celebrity to a 4G mobile network launch event in Britain in late 2012.
LED lights designed into the gown displayed posts from
the globally-popular one-to-many messaging service.
Technology and fashion need to be combined tastefully
to make for a winning creation, according to Fiolet.
"It has to be good looking; be a great
piece of technology, and monitor something you care about," she contended.
"If you don't care, you will never wear it. And, if it is ugly, you will
never wear it."
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