Fashioning Circuits

Welcome

Sep 102011

Welcome to Fashioning Circuits, a scholarly archive of materials related to Fashion and Emerging Media.

Photo "electronic led light dress at the museum of science and industry in chicago" by Flickr user David Hilowitz

Fashioning Circuits was launched in September 2011 as part of a series of independent studies in the graduate program in Emerging Media and Communication (EMAC) at the University of Texas, Dallas. The goal of the project is to explore the ways in which fashion and emerging media intersect. Areas of intersection might include the ways in which fashion and emerging media are constantly in flux, looking forward; the fashions of emerging media, including social media and hardware; expressions of identity; wearable media; smart textiles, vernacular expression; network theories; global labor issues; gender representation, sexuality, race, class and embodiment; etc.

As the site develops, you can expect to see posts in the following categories:

History – historical impact of science, technology, and media on fashion.
Wearables – examples of wearable media, smart textiles, etc.
Annotated Bibliography – annotated entries describing and analyzing books, articles, film, etc.
Emerging Media – examples and analysis of blogs, social media, etc. as they pertain to fashion.
Representations – representations of fashion in media, including art, media, games, social avatars, etc.
Identity – analysis of the impact of fashion and emerging media on identity, including raced, classed, gendered and sexualized bodies.

This is only our best guess at topic areas given the preliminary stages of the project. Our intention is to allow the categories to develop organically as we follow the paths on which our research takes us. So please stay tuned as the project develops. If you have suggestions, we would love to hear from you.

Aside from the blog archive, the editorial team is also active on Twitter. Search for the hashtag #fashioningcircuits to see all of the interesting resources we are finding and sharing.

“Add to Cart”: Amazon chases the high end fashion market

Shopping No Responses »

May 152012

Photo from a runway show overlaid with the Amazon "add to cart" button.

Original image by Flickr User annelope; Modified for use on Fashioning Circuits under a CC-by license.

Wearable media may be limited to certain tech savvy or avant garde sectors of society, but this does not mean that emerging media has no impact on fashion for most users.

Shopping is one area in which much of the population might encounter the intersection of fashion and emerging media. On Fashioning Circuits we’ve covered a multitude of ways in which retailers are attempting to leverage emerging media to increase sales.

Though one has long been able to purchase clothing, shoes, and accessories on Amazon, Monday’s New York Times article makes it clear that the online retailer has set its sights on the fashion elite.

Unlike retailers such as Target who have recently moved to feature lower end lines from big-name designers, Amazon is trying to capture the attention of those who are accustomed to shopping in high-end stores. It would seem that the availability on Amazon will deplete the aura of scarcity that is often associated with such high end consumption.

Virgnia Postrel’s essay “How Unhip Amazon Can Walk the Fashion Runway“ offers some interesting advice to Amazon. The opportunities to showcase new talent and connect with philanthropic missions seem as though they could work particular well to use the affordances of the net and overcome the aura issue.

Ben Barry outlines the benefits of model diversity

Annotated Bibliography No Responses »

May 152012

Can using different types of models benefit brands? : Culture – Elle Canada.

Ben Barry gives a fascinating overview of his dissertation on diverse models in fashion advertising. Kudos to Elle Canada for publishing the piece.

Analyzing Virtual Closets

Emerging Media No Responses »

May 142012

Fashion apps and sites are trending right now, and there seems to be a new one gaining attention every week. While researching some of the latest fashion and style apps and websites, I realized that most of them pin their hopes of success on one lofty expectation: that consumers want to share their personal style with others. These fashion-related apps and websites would not work if people did not sign up for accounts, snap photos of themselves and their clothes, Like items they’ve seen online, aspire to learn name brands and designers, or were not willing to discuss their personal style with strangers. However, people do flock to these apps and sites—in droves.

I’m increasingly wary about creating any type of account that requests personal information or access to my Facebook account, but it sure seems as though many people accept that as part of the terms when they want to use a fashion and style tool. Eager to see what I was missing, I decided to try one out. After finding a fashion site that looked to turn Cher Horowitz’s virtual closet into a reality, I jumped at the chance to sign up.

Image Courtesy of Honey in the Sun blog

Design Your World Conference

Identity, Workshop No Responses »

May 122012

Several of the women associated with the Fashioning Circuits blog recently took their skills to the Design Your World Conference to teach young girls aged 10-12 how science can be fun. Specifically, with the coordination and leadership of Amy Pickup, we conducted a workshop about the LilyPad Arduino.

Photo courtesy laurenvoneperphoto Flickr Stream

The computers were set up and ready to go when the 15 girls came in and we were ready to teach! Amy lead a great discussion on the history of the LilyPad Arduino, then showed a video with some example projects, and went over all of the elements and add-ons for the LilyPad. Then it was on to the brainstorming session.

Each of the volunteers took a group of 2-3 girls and helped them come up with ideas and ways to use the LilyPad to create new clothing designs or functionality. It was really interesting to see what their young minds came up with. Two themes that I picked up were dealing with fear of the dark, like a glowing teddy bear that turns off after a set amount of time, and creating fun gimmicks to wear at school, like a backpack that blinks your name. Other ideas included glasses that would make a sound or light up if you lost them, and socks that would tell you when they are stinky.

Finally, it was time to get down to business and start coding! Each group had a computer, a LilyPad, an LED, some alligator clips to make connections, and directions on how to make it work. We started with attaching the LilyPad to the computer and then moved on to basic circuit completion. It was great to see how fast these girls learned! Continue reading »

Techno-Fashion 2.0: Fashion Designed for the Disabled

Representations, Uncategorized No Responses »

May 122012

The Superman "S" Logo. Image credit: Wikipedia.com

The concept of the cyborg or techno-fashion is not a new one to Fashioning Circuits. Fashion that has the ability to extend the capabilities of the human body is a topic that I, for one, find particularly fascinating. It may surprise the FC reader, howeve,r to learn that there also exists another perhaps lower tech but no less integral component to techno-fashion, that is fashion that can compensate for physical deficiencies. Recent developments in the nascent techno-fashion industry have seen the proliferation of brands producing garments to not only enhance the human body but indeed to improve the quality of life for individuals afflicted with various physical deficiencies and impairments. Let’s take a look at some particularly inspiring innovators in this techno-fashion space.

The GPS Shoe for Tracking Alzheimers Patients

GPS Shoe

In 2011 US based GTX Corp introduced the GPS shoe, a walking shoe with a miniature GPS tracking device embedded in the heel. The inspiration for the shoe was originally spurred by a particularly tragic and high profile missing persons case in involving the disappearance of a young child. In fact GTX CEO Patrick Bertagna originally created the shoe as a means of tracking missing children. It wasn’t long, however, before Bertagna became aware of an even greater need for the shoe among adult caregivers of Alheimer’s sufferers to be able to non intrusively track the movements of their patients.

GPS tracking devices for Alzheimers’s patients were not in and of themselves a new idea, even in 2011. However, prior to the GPS Shoe it was not uncommon for Alzheimer’s sufferers to reject the devices out of fear or confusion. The GPS Shoe provides the caregiver with a means to monitor their charges via smartphone or computer with an interactive map. The caregiver can even establish “safe zones” whereby they will be immediately notified with a text message if the patient wanders outside of a pre-established geographical perimeter.

The GPS Shoe does present some real privacy concerns as the design of the device is deliberately intended to be undetectable by the wearer. I do wonder at the potential ease of abuse of the shoe by those who seek to monitor non Alheimer’s sufferers for purely selfish and possibly dangerous reasons. However, the safety of Alzheimers sufferers as well as the peace of mind afforded their caregivers just may outweigh its’ potential threats to privacy.

Hickies: Elastic Shoelaces for Arthritis Sufferers

Hickies

Hickies are an elastic shoelace replacement system that completely eliminate the need for tying shoelaces. The rubber devices feature a hook and loop fastening system intended to be fed through the eyelets of laced shoes in place of traditional shoelaces, one device per row of eyelets. Hickies, which come in one size and a rainbow of colors, are designed to replace traditional shoelaces in any type of shoe or boot. Aesthetically, Hickies can be used to customize any heretofore laceable footwear and also allow for the slipping on and off of shoes without the need to tie and untie shoelaces.

Though not developed specifically with arthritis sufferers in mind the application of Hickies for arthritis patients is tremendous. The relative ease afforded Hickies wearers effectively returns independence to those who lack the dexterity and or flexibility required to tie and lace traditional laced shoes. Additionally the devices minimizes trip and fall accidents, a potentially fatal hazard for the elderly, presented by loose or untied shoelaces. This is one I am definitely excited to see.

Nano Enhanced Undergarments to Combat Body Odor

Maxi Fresh Plus

Goldwin Company, a Japan Based clothing manufacturer, has recently introduced MXP Underwear, a line of undergarments that uses nanotechnology to combat body odor. The MXP line, which is short for “Maxi Fresh Plus,” includes mens boxer shorts and briefs. Per Goldwin, the undergarments have the ability to eliminate 99 percent of the odor caused by perspiration and 88 percent of body odors in general. Though I am a little suspicious as to exactly how those percentages were measured, if the company’s claims are true perhaps MXP represents a breakthrough for those who suffer from hyperhidrosis, a medical condition whereby sufferers perspire excessively and unpredictably.

According to the National Institutes of Health 2 to 3 percent of the population currently suffers from hyperhidrosis. Unfortunately, less than 40 percent of sufferers seek medical treatment for the condition. Ressons for this reticence are likely numerous however it is not hard to imagine that personal embarrassment is chief among them. If the MXP line, which reportedly has been tested in the International Space Station, does even a fraction of what it claims, then perhaps hyperhydrosis sufferers at last have a private, non-medical tool at their disposal to combat a particularly isolating and demoralizing condition.

Xeni Collection: Fashionable clothing for the Wheelchair Bound

XENI Collection

Xeni Collection was launched in 2010 by Ann Oliver, a former architect whose own fight with multiple sclerosis had left her wheelchair bound. The brand designs, manufactures and retails couture garments designed specifically for the seated figure and severely disabled wearers.

Oliver recognized a significant gap in the ever evolving high fashion landscape, that of fashion designed with the disabled figure in mind. Setting out to fill that gap Oliver re-trained in fashion and textile design and developed, from concept to production including pattern design and textile development, a line of attire to both flatter and assist severely disabled wearers. Oliver’s designs feature innovations such as magnetic fastenings for customers who have difficulty manipulating buttons and zippers. The line’s garments are specifically designed for the seated figure, recognizing that this client will most often be viewed from above. This of course represents a specific shift in the designer’s aesthetic perspective, one that heretofore was unrepresented in the world of traditional high fashion, which is generally viewed from a head-on perspective.

Xeni collection represents a brilliant and particularly inspiring techno fashion solution for the disabled fashion wearer. I do hope to see more labels emulating Xeni’s knowledge and sensitivity, and designing for this severely under served segment of the market.

Downs Designs: Garments Designed for people with Down Syndrome

Downs Designs

Karen Bowersox is another designer whose personal connection to affliction inspired her to fill a heretofore invisible gap in the ready to wear fashion landscape, that of garments designed for people with Down Syndrome. Inspired by her granddaughter, whose parents struggled daily finding garments that fit properly, Bowersox launched Downs Designs in 2010 to design, manufacture and retail clothing cut specfically to fit the unique body shape of wearers with Down Syndrome.

The line features simple basic pieces for adults, teens and children, designed for easy manipulation by Down’s sufferers. The line was prototyped using eight adult models with Down Syndrome. Bowersox’s design team literally created a unique sizing scheme, dubbed “Down Sizing” designed specifically to meet the unique figure needs of Down Disease sufferers.

Proper garment fit is paramount for Down Syndrome clients and top priority in Down’s Designs design principle. Who would have ever thought that “Down Sizing” would be a good thing?

The designers and labels profiled here represent but a few of the innovators in the techno-fashion space striving the meet the unique needs of disabled fashion wearers the world over. Fashion designed to compensate for physical deficiencies is one of the most creatively challenging market segments to succeed in. These brands are indeed ones to be inspired by.

Going Au Naturel

Identity 2 Responses »

May 082012

Jessica Alba - Left Original, Right Retouched. Photo Courtesy Campari.

In the midst of the extreme Photoshopping, CGI, and robot models, there has been a quiet rebellion that has recently gotten louder. The inevitable backlash against the fake perfection afforded by available technology has also found its home on the web, and one of the biggest up and coming advocates is 14-year-old, Julia Bluhm.

Julia is at the age when most girls are really starting to get into makeup, fashion, and boys; the age when a girl really starts caring about her looks and her body image. Unfortunately, most girls look to the models in their favorite magazines as a guide for what they should look like, instead of real women that they already know. And even more unfortunately, those women that they see in magazines, on top of being in the top tier of typical beauty standards, are also heavily makeup-ed, airbrushed, and Photoshopped.

So, she decided to do something about it, and started a petition on Change.org asking Seventeen Magazine to include one real, unaltered spread in their magazine each month. The petition has gotten over 55,000 signatures in 18 days, and has received attention on websites such as Yahoo.com. The editor-in-chief has asked to see the petition, and there is a scheduled protest, but no real response from Seventeen yet.

Even 15 years ago, when I was in Julia’s shoes, Seventeen Magazine was full of impossibly pretty girls that definitely made my awkward stage that much worse. My parents saw that, and bought me magazines with real girls in them, but they were not the mainstream magazines that my friends were reading, so unfortunately, they didn’t have the same impact that the same real spreads would have had in Seventeen, Teen Magazine, or any of the other mainstream magazines. What would it have been like to see a normal girl who had blemishes and a real figure. Would I have respected her as much as I did the spreads with models, or would I have discounted her the way I did the girls in the off-brand magazines my parents bought me? Continue reading »

Rampant Consumerism; Environmentally Sustainable – POSSIBLE?

Uncategorized No Responses »

May 072012

When you think of the world of fashion – what comes to mind? Glamorous? Exciting? Very possible those words are just a couple that are used to describe the fashion industry; but have you stopped to think about the impact to the environment? I would bet money that the same words would not be in the vocabulary of what I am about to illustrate about the textile industry and the environment.

There are four key environmental impacts associated with textiles

Water
Energy
Pollution
Use of non-renewable resources

From an environmental point of view, when thinking about the environmental hazards, the clothes we wear and the textiles they are made from can cause a large amount of harm.

Dyeing alone can account for most of the water used in producing a garment; but there is also a considerable amount of water and energy that are used in the processing of the various materials in the textile production chain. The textile dyeing and finishing mills use large volumes of water and substantial quantities of complex chemicals and are high producers of carbon dioxide emissions as well as water pollutions. Unfixed dye tends to wash out of garments, and can end up in the rivers and sewers, as treatment plants fail to remove them from the water.

Water is not only used in large quantities during the dyeing process but is also used in considerable quantities for irrigation during the growing of natural fibers, depending on the localized rainfall patterns

Now – there are several challenges that companies have but one of the biggest is staying competitive. On one hand, companies are looking for business improvements to keep costs to the consumer low but also an efficient way to keep the environment safe by adopting clean technology which in turn will produce eco-friendly products.

These issues are rising and more and more people are becoming aware of the impact on our environment. The impact is causing a ton of concern to the companies and to the consumers alike.

Earlier this year, Ecouterre headlined a story about Nike partnering with a new company that was trying a new technology:

DyeCoo Textile Systems is a Netherlands-based company that built the first commercial waterless textile-dyeing machine. The H2O-free technology imbues a pressurized form of carbon dioxide with liquid-like properties, allowing it to penetrate textile fibers and disperse preloaded dyes without extra chemical agents. Once the dyeing cycle is complete, the CO2 is gasified to recover the excess dye before cycling back into the dyeing vessel for reuse—no muss, no fuss, and with far less energy than conventional methods.

Obviously, water is just one of the issues when it comes to textiles and the environment. A few others to mention are things such as nylon taking approx 30-40 years to decompose or the use of harmful solvents in glues and chemicals that are released into the atmosphere affecting the quality of the air we breathe.

That leaves me with asking a powerful thought provoking question: How can an industry that encourages rampant consumerism be environmentally sustainable?

Wearable Media Object Using LilyPad Arduino

Emerging Media, Wearables, Workshop No Responses »

May 042012

For my wearable media object, I chose to create an LEDs-only circuit using the LilyPad Arduino Board. After attending Ettiquette Creative’s LilyPad Arduino Workshop, I had the resources and references to begin my project. I installed the Arduino software, checked the drivers, and referred to a tutorial provided on the SparkFun Electronics site to design my wearable media object.

In order to allow the light display to be the focus of the media object, I sewed the LilyPad Arduino to the inside of the purse. The majority of the stitches are also on the inside of the bag, and the cloth flowers hide the more noticeable threads visible on the outside.

LilyPad Arduino

My goal with this project was to create a media object that could combine both style and technology. The outside of the purse has cloth flowers that camouflage the sewn-in LEDs. When the LilyPad Arduino is activated, the LEDs blink and fade in a random pattern. The soft blinking lights and smooth pattern are meant to tie back to the idea of flowers being delicate and graceful.

While I was working on my project, I wondered if there was a way to make the LEDs respond to the beat in music. I chose the track (in the video) with that in mind. I loved how the lights almost look like they’re dancing to the music. That might be something I’ll look into for a future LilyPad Arduino-related project.

Give A HUG

Emerging Media No Responses »

May 022012

Not really fashion – but playing off Tameeka’s earlier entry about the underwear vending machine – I thought this was also pretty creative and definitely attention grabbing (even if it is old news and just now hitting the social media sites).

I’d like to teach the world to sing …in perfect harmony. Remember these lyrics? The official title is “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” but either way – this tune definitely has had a LONG lasting connection with the public. The commercial has consistently been voted as one of the best of all time!

The US release in July 1971of the hit immediately had an impact with its listeners and viewers. Coke and its bottlers received more than a 100,000 letters about the commercials. From the listeners – they called radio stations pleading for them to play it.

Well, they are at it again. As part of Coca Cola’s regional initiative; “Open Happiness” campaign, they have machines dispenses free cans in exchange for hugs. It’s the latest ploy for social media and it looks like Coke has hit it big again. Check out these links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A-7H4aOhq0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5CZh45IBMw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38Wn-tMeqUs

What is coke trying to accomplish? Coke wants to form and strengthen the “bond” between customers and the brand.

Everything the customer experiences and observes merges in their minds into a single image, a brand. It creates an emotional bond between Coke and the customer. A strong brand builds confidence, improves loyalty and makes Coke stand out from the others.

What does one feel when hugged and why do we hug? As humans we view a hug as a form of nonverbal communication that hopefully makes you happy and is some sort of bond sharing. Hugs have also been known as a way of releasing tension. A hug is pretty much known around the world as a form of physical intimacy (not necessarily sexual intimacy).

So – we now witness Coke machines dispensing free coke and vending machines available with underwear – what’s next?

If you are in the US dont run out looking for the HUG machine….unfortunately you will not get to experience the “bond” between yourself and Coke. See this video – this will be you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUrNzNH7-r8

WHO doesn’t like hugs -life’s simple pleasure? Brilliant campaign!

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