The Fashion Tech Trend

The fashion tech trend has created tons of buzz in fashion recently. This combination of fashion and technology has existed since fashion’s inception, but the recent surge in development has piqued the interest of many in the fashion industry.  Early fashion adopters used technology in this season’s runway shows and designed supposed wearables for fashionistas. This is just the start of the expansion (or invasion) of technology into our lives in a new way – wearables are technology that truly move with you.

This fashion tech trend has created a new market opportunity for fashion empires that are jumping on it. But there are only a handful that have caught on with consumers and have potential to be valuable and stylish. In the fashion community the latter of the two continues to be stressed as a factor that will deem these wearables covetable. Here are a few that we find to be truly relevant to fashionistas:

JonLou 314 Bag
This leather purse was dreamt up to solve everyday fashion problems with technology. For decades, bags have served only one function, but the 314 bag redefines the value that fashion brings into our lives. The leather purse is a full hybrid of fashion and technology, and can charge your phone for a month; it’s not a second clutch. Everyone knows you are what you wear, and perhaps smart clothing and accessories like the 314 bag will become our second skin in the future.

“we have a long way to go, and this will be proven in just a few years with several more advances in the wearables space.”

– Theodora Koullias, founder of Jon Lou

Koullias’ experience taught her the level of craftsmanship and attention to detail that goes into design. The fashion industry has continued to argue that wearables won’t catch on unless they’re appealing to fashionistas. The disparity between fashion and technology that Koullias felt is most likely echoed by many interested in what these two fields have to offer for their lives. The 314 bag offers a first glimpse into this world.

Asus ZenWatch
Already there are a handful of smartwatches on the market, but the first thing we noticed about this smartwatch by Asus was it’s beautiful design. The leather strap and simple face makes up a classic look and is very different from other smartwatches that targeted tech enthusiasts. The curved edges make using the touch screen device easy and it runs with Android 4.3 or higher. If fashionistas are searching for a watch to accompany their phones and busy schedules, this would be worth looking into.

Bluetooth Ring
Finally, with this bluetooth ring you can be stylish and have magical powers! This wearable allows individuals to interact with their tech environment with the movement of a finger. Write texts, access apps, and turn lights on and off. The only downside is that it’s so easy to forget you’re wearing this wearable which could be a problem when washing your hands or doing dishes.

Writers from Fashionista.com have written about this topic and given some great insight. This tech trend is useful and fashionable options are being developed, but the fact is that it’s just the start and there is little to compare it to. Right now, this fashion tech trend is just starting to develop so their value may be hard to see. Koullias makes a good point, that though it’s hard to accept this concept of ‘wearable technology’ because of it’s novelty, smart clothing and accessories are growing. Just like we don’t call our smart phones “technologically enhanced cellular phones”, wearables like the 314 bag and bluetooth ring will become the norm; it’s just the start of this fashion revolution.