Avery Dennison RBIS and Sarah Angold collaborate on wearable tech project

Avery Dennison Retail Branding and Information Solutions (RBIS) teamed up with leading London jewellery and product designer Sarah Angold on a project to create custom-made accessories embedded with Avery Dennison's RFID technology, which were showcased at the Decoded Fashion Summit in New York yesterday.

Working side by side with Angold, Avery created four products that embed technology into the design, including a clutch bag and three items of jewellery. The RFID tag is embedded into the product for its lifetime, which offers brands the opportunity to attach unique item-specific data to every product.

The clutch bag for instance contains conductors in the embossed print, "so we are not adding technology, the bag is the technology," said Angold who is creative director of the Sarah Angold Studio.

The products were demonstrated live at the show in combination with Oak Labs' interactive mirrors so that attendees could have the chance to interact with the mirror, gaining immediate access to item-level product information, insights on where and how the pieces were made, and were even offered styling recommendations for a unique retail experience.

"The physical and digital worlds are converging, and consumers expect to be connected seamlessly across all aspects of their lives," said Francisco Melo, vice president and general manager, Global RFID, Avery Dennison. "RFID technology provides endless opportunities for interactive experiences in the retail environment and our collaboration with Sarah Angold takes this to the next level by embedding the technology into the product itself."

Also at the show, Avery Dennison showcased a smart digital jacket via its collaboration with New York-based Rochambeau, a 2016 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist. The exclusive AW16 edition of "BRIGHT BMBR" connected jackets are powered by the Avery Dennison’s Janela platform and EVRYTHNG’s intelligent IoT cloud. The #BornDigital garments offer consumers exclusive personalised dining, art, retail and fashion experiences.

Triggered by a smartphone, the "BRIGHT BMBR" jacket allows wearers to receive personalized content exclusive rewards, and gain access to one-of-a-kind experiences. The left sleeve of the smart jacket features a hidden zipper pocket containing a limited-edition label containing NFC technology and a unique QR code, allowing consumers to connect with these smart tags and access rewards and curated experiences. Only 15 versions of the jackets will be released to retail in early December, and will be sold exclusively at The New Stand locations in New York City.

"We started Rochambeau as an outlet for creative expression and artistic collaboration," said Laurence Chandler, founder of Rochambeau. "We can’t think of a more amazing way to do this than to create beautiful garments with culture and connectivity stitched into the very fabric of the item. We’re excited about designing more Rochambeau products which are born digital."