Opening Ceremony and Intel's MICA |
SANTA CLARA, United States — Wearable
technology is creating a new space for innovation and attracting the attention
of a diverse and growing ecosystem of players, from Silicon Valley to Madison
Avenue and fashion megabrands to small designers with big ideas who are willing
to push the boundaries of what’s possible. Even casual observers can’t miss the
eye-grabbing headlines about Apple’s $10,000 smartwatch or recent moves by TAG
Heuer and Gucci.
With retail revenues from wearable devices projected to exceed
$53 billion by 2019, according to Juniper Research, there is little reason to
wonder why so many people are watching the wearables space. But if wearables
are going to make the transition from high-tech novelty to everyday necessity,
technology companies need to partner with leading designers and fashion brands
to produce products that deliver real value without sacrificing style.
Today, we are at a new inflection point when it comes to
integrating technology into apparel and accessories. But the reality is
technology and fashion have always been inextricably linked.
Perhaps one of the earliest examples of technology ‘disrupting’
fashion was in the 13th century, when Italian artisans crafted the first pair
of eyeglasses. Later, thanks to advances in manufacturing during the industrial
age, clothing became a mass-produced good for the first time. Even in the past
century, we’ve seen the invention of entirely new types of fabrics like nylon
and polyester. Today’s yoga pants craze wouldn’t be possible without the
chemical company DuPont.
Consumers don’t think that wearing glasses or buying a sports
bra is embracing technological innovation; they are merely buying something
they need and enjoy wearing. This marriage of function and form is exactly
where the wearable category is headed.
The difference today is the acceleration of Moore’s Law. In
1965, Intel founder Gordon Moore predicted that the number of transistors that
could be fitted onto a given silicon chip would double every year and thereby
help to enable lower costs and other benefits. Intel’s adherence to that
vision has meant that processing capabilities have become exponentially more
powerful, while the devices themselves would shrink in size and offer other
innovative benefits.
The principles behind Moore’s Law have become shorthand for the
kind of rapid technological change that has opened up a wide range of new
market opportunities, including embedding silicon-based technology into
everyday apparel and accessories, like our clothes, watches, jewellery and even
our glasses. And designers and technologists alike are beginning to ask
fundamentally new questions about a space that is just in its infancy —
yet has seemingly limitless applications.
Until now, the technology industry has largely been trying to go
it alone. But many of us are realising that developing great technology isn’t
enough. The end product must be attractive and seamlessly integrated into the
user’s life, regardless of whether there is an on-off switch.
Tech companies are also facing another familiar challenge.
Nielson reports that women dominate almost every major retail spending category
— another challenge for a sector with well-documented difficulties attracting
and retaining female talent.
To resolve these and other complex issues and accelerate the
wearable tech opportunity, we need to foster a new ecosystem of players and
build stronger partnerships between technologists and fashion designers.
Intel’s strategy already includes collaboration with fashion and
luxury players like Opening
Ceremony, Barneys
New York, the CFDA, Luxottica, Oakley,
Fossil and TAG Heuer. These brands work with us to bridge the gap between what
is technically possible and what consumers actually want.
It’s exciting to watch the next iteration of the long-standing
marriage between fashion and technology. And with the rapid advances taking
place in the wearables category today, it won’t be long before the notion of
smart-clothing is as commonplace as running shoes and smartphones.
Ayse Ildeniz is the vice president and general manager for
business development and strategy for Intel’s new devices group.
The views expressed in Op-Ed pieces are those of the author and
do not necessarily reflect the views of The Business of Fashion.