The' Smart' label has become so popular so quickly that virtually every conceivable area of consumption has a product rebranded as intelligent. One might think that our clothes are left out of this maelstrom but the truth is that technological innovation also worries about our wardrobe. And no, we are not just talking about technological complements (clocks and smart glasses, etc.). The fashion industry is already incorporating sophisticated electronic systems into certain garments and this trend has only just begun.
If we examine the market, we find that a large number of major companies in the fashion sector are firmly committed to clothing, footwear and accessories' Smart'. Nike, for example, is developing the Ease project, with which it hopes to light up the next generation of intelligent sports cars. These shoes will incorporate automatic systems to tie the laces, fully adapt to the shape of the foot or vary the temperature of your interior, among other options. The first models, known as HyperAdapt or EARL, have come on the market with dropper and prohibitive prices.
A similar logic is followed by Google in its research into lighting intelligent fibers to make different garments. The Californian firm, together with the well-known Levi's brand, promoted the creation of the first intelligent jacket. This jacket has fifteen interconnected threads that allow different actions to be carried out automatically with a simple gesture on the part of the user. For its part, Nike's major competitor, Adidas, has put the focus on 3-D printing. In this case, it would not be a matter of manufacturing intelligent garments but of immediately printing a number of completely personalised items. To achieve this, it has partnered with Carbon 3D, a company specialising in three-dimensional printing.
Although the above examples are eloquent enough about the path the fashion industry is following, the stance that luxury firms have taken is just as or more revealing. Brands as prestigious as Chanel or renowned designers like Karl Lagerfeld have expressed their confidence that fashion and technology will continue to walk together. This is a clear endorsement of the market's leadership, which is traditionally the least prone to major changes. So, your next jacket could do more than just warm you up.