Google and Levi’s are Teaming Up to Create the Future of Fashion
At their annual Developers’ Conference over the weekend, Google Inc. has dropped a bomb over both the fashion and tech worlds: they have developed a conductive fibre, called Jacquard —the confusion with the existing fabric may be an issue— that can be woven into any type of textile and should revolutionise fashion as we know it. The idea is to have jackets, skirts, jeans or even underwear turned into interactive platforms, the yarns will be joined with a connector which will allow the wearer to connect to any kind of smart device.
Google developed the fabric through a firm in Japan whose name they won’t reveal and insist that the microfibre-woven textile is no thicker than any regular yarn. This brilliant innovation can therefore work with any textile combination from denim to sheer (lingerie for instance) and is not colour-restricted, something that was a struggle in previous prototypes.
“This isn’t a launch, it’s a platforming opportunity. It becomes a home to new forms and applications that we haven’t thought of yet,” explained Paul Dillinger, Vice President of innovation for Levi’s, “The potential is that the input is the gesture – crossing your legs, swiping, waving, lifting.”
Up until now most wearable technology has been restricted to accessories, something the user had to add to their usual wardrobes such as the Google Glass project —which is incidentally being re-evaluated by the firm— but never something included in our everyday necessities such as clothing. Bridging this gap could even mean going back to a simpler way of functioning and interacting, allowing wearers to actually focus on their surroundings when the digital sensing capacities are accessible at the flick of a hand or the pressing of an arm.
Levi’s will release its first ‘smart’ apparel in collaboration with Google some time towards the end of 2016.
If you want to find out more about ‘Project Jacquard’ you can watch this video on YouTube:
