“IT Wears Fashion” Intel-Chromat Wearable Fashion Decorates New York Fashion Week

The combination of smart technology and fashion is no longer unfamiliar. As wearable technology becomes more sophisticated, it is no longer limited to simply flashing clothes. Now, thanks to advanced IT technology, the era of wearable fashion that enables interaction between the body and clothes is unfolding before our eyes.

On September 30, Intel joined hands with Chromat, a clothing company famous for its futuristic designs, to showcase clothing utilizing Intel wearable technology at the New York Fashion Week 2016 S/S Collection (NYFW), drawing attention.

The 3D printer-based Adrenaline Dress and Areo Sports Bra, which were unveiled to much fanfare that day, are equipped with Intel's ultra-small, low-power Intel Curie module. The Intel Curie module is a low-power solution for wearable devices, featuring an Intel Quark processor, a Bluetooth low energy radio, a six-axis combo sensor with an accelerometer and motion sensor, and battery charging capabilities.

These two outfits are based on the concept of biomimicry, and are evaluated as a collaboration that shows that wearable technology can become an axis of fashion by combining Intel's sophisticated wearable technology with the ingenious imagination of designer Becca McCharen of Chromat.

3D-printed adrenaline dress that responds to body conditions

The sensors attached to the inside of the Adrenaline Dress collect the wearer's body changes such as adrenaline, body temperature, breathing, sweat, and stress, and when a certain level of adrenaline is detected, the design of the dress changes. In other words, it can be seen that the clothes express a person's emotions and physical changes.

For example, when a person wearing a dress secretes more adrenaline, the carbon fiber mesh covering the outside of the dress inflates. The Intel Curie module and shape memory alloy technology are combined to create smooth movements that make it seem as if the wearer's senses are extended.

Aero sports bra specialized in temperature control function (cooling)

Areo Sports Bra is a sports bra product specialized in temperature control and also has built-in LED. It utilizes the principle that body temperature rises during exercise, and when you wear this clothing and exercise, the clothing detects the change in your body and opens the ventilation holes. It features the fact that the size of the microscopic air holes applied to the fabric changes in real time to appropriately control your body temperature.

“Intel’s goal is to work closely with leading fashion brands to bring wearable fashion that actual consumers can ‘wear,’” said Ayse Ildeniz, vice president of business development and strategy for Intel’s New Devices Group. “The enhanced Intel Curie module will be the foundation for a new era where fashion and technology converge.”

“Our technical collaboration with Intel has taken wearable fashion fabrics to the next level, where clothes can sense the wearer’s physical reactions,” said Becca McCharen, designer at Chromat. “We will continue to work with Intel to address technical issues such as batteries and wires.”

Other dresses made using Intel's wearable technology include the Butterfly effect dress (see videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FopTik67_F4 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avCe8gdwJLA) and the Spider dress (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_3LuShd6dg). Both dresses were made using a 3D printer and based on Intel's wearable technology.

Intel has also been working closely with fashion, fitness, and lifestyle brands to create wearable devices that enhance lifestyles and consumers want to wear, since announcing the Intel Curie module at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January of this year. Some of the major companies that Intel is currently working with include Opening Ceremony, Fossil Group, Oakley, Luxottica Group, TAG Heuer, and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).
Smart Accessory Product Lineup Recently Unveiled

Opening Ceremony, a dual fashion brand, announced the full-fledged era of fashion wearables by introducing a smart bracelet called MICA (My Intelligent Communication Accessory) in collaboration with Intel late last year.

Aimed at women, this product can send emails, messages, texts, etc. and has smartwatch-like functions. It also has a luxurious design with a unique texture utilizing semi-precious stones and water snake skin, making it a fashion item as well.

Fossil Group also recently unveiled a lineup of smart accessory products called Fossil Q, which appropriately mixes fashion and function. The product lineup consists of the Q Grant smartwatch, which has a design that is almost identical to a traditional analog watch, and two smart bracelet products, the Dreamer and Reveller.

All products are powered by Intel technology and can be paired with smartphones running Android 4.3 or later or iPhone 5 or later via Bluetooth. Through the Q-exclusive app, you can receive notifications for messages, emails, etc. and check the amount of exercise and calories burned.

Tag Heuer is also partnering with Intel and Google to launch a Swiss-made smartwatch based on Intel wearable technology and Google Android in November.