Fashion and technology are intersecting in new and previously unimaginable ways. Just take a look at the current fashion-tech scene around the world; fabrics are becoming active, interactive, and completely customizable with new technology. Clothing now alters its color, shape, and texture based on external stimuli such as light, heat, and sound; interactive costumes for performance artists, dancers and musicians are using technologies such as microcontrollers, LEDs, fiber optics, sensors, and motors to introduce an element of fantasy and futurism in everyday life; and through 3D printing technology, people are designing and manufacturing wearable products right at home. The fashion-tech revolution is teaming up designers, engineers, programmers, and fashion gurus to think and imagine like never before and create conceptually unique and visually dazzling pieces. Given today’s versatile and programmable technologies, fashion-tech is becoming one of the most cutting-edge industries. Are you ready to become part of the fashion-tech buzz?

In this Studio, you will explore new techniques and concepts for interactive fashion or fashion-tech. You will create and develop high-tech fashion pieces, including (but not limited to) designs that are suitable for dancers-performers-musicians. As part of the production process, you will use 3D modeling software and 3D fabrication tools, such as laser-cutters and 3D printers, while incorporating unique materials, complex patterns, and robotics-based designs in your final pieces! Get ready to enter the high tech fashion world!

Focus Skills/Subjects/Technologies:

  Fashion Design

  Digital Fabrication (Laser-cutting, 3d Printing)

  Computer Programming

  Electronics

  Pattern-making

  2D and 3D Modeling

  Adobe Illustrator

  Robotics (Arduino)

Prerequisites:

• Enrolling students must be between the ages of 11 to 18 (middle and high school students)