Now that the general public has become accustomed to the idea of wearables thanks to FitBits and Apple Watches, the novelty surrounding wearable tech fashion has died down. Now that the technology is becoming more sophisticated, wearable tech is moving away from solely focusing on function to embracing fashion.
This month’s We Are Wearables Toronto focused on this intersection of fashion and technology with a special ’80s-themed event. Inviting all attendees to dress in ’80s garb, the event brought together both fashion and tech experts like Aram Hamparian, director of sales for Fossil Canada (which is embracing smartwatches); Tony Chahine, CEO of Myant; Zayn Jaffer, director of emerging businesses at Best Buy Canada; Sharlene Sternberg, marketing manager at Sensoria; and Electric Runway founder Amanda Cosco.
“The transition that we’re seeing in the market is what I call ‘from gadgets to garments’. The first wave of wearables was about computers strapped to the body, and the conversation in 2015 to 2016 is shifting to smart fabrics and connected clothing,” said Cosco during the panel. “If tech can learn from fashion, then we can get a sense of where we’re going. We want our garments to be second skins, but we’re now leading connected lives so it’s about time our clothing got an upgrade.”
Read full coverage of WWTO’s fashion tech event in Betakit here.
