How new technologies are changing the creative process in fashion

The recent evolution of smart textiles and materials in general triggered designers' imagination and turned possible the creation of interactive and reactive clothes. Clothes can be equipped with electronic components like microcontrolers, small motors, led's, motion sensors and so on.

Technologic improvements also influence the conception of the clothing. Nowadays when a designer has an idea and start to draw it he can use digital and also generative tools to give form to his ideas. Here some exciting examples:

The brazilian brand Amapo gained notoriety after the singer M.I.A. used their pieces in a video clip. The designer duo uses 3D technology to create some of their their patterns. The result is volumetric pieces that delivers an interesting effect depending on the lights.

Another example is "Continuum", the latest project by Mary Huang. It allows anyone to "draw" a dress and convert it into a 3d model, which is turned into a flat pattern that can be cut out of fabric and sewn into the dress. The real dress can be bought via website or you can download the parts and sew it yourself. Tools like Continuum points the fashion creation towards digital customization.

Diana Eng released a set of scarves inspired by math and ethnology. She designed the patters based in mathematical functions and used several techniques to transfer the numbers into drawings.

Another technology that is rocking the fashion design is 3d print. 3d pinging is a technology where a tridimensional objected is created by laying down successive layers of material. This allows rapid prototyping and put down the costs of production.

this video describes the 3d print process pointing out the ecological potential of this technology due to the fact that the material can be totally recycled.

The dutch designer Iris Van Herpen is an example of 3d printing in fashion. In her last collection she created structured clothes that reminds shell shapes and fractals and share concepts of architecture and design.

Almost every day pop up projects and collections the make use of new technologies in their conception and realization and for sure we are going to see more exciting examples of how new technologies change creative processes.