While designers like Rebecca Minkoff and Diane von Furstenberg are bringing wearable tech into the mainstream, they aren’t the first ones to delve into the space. London-based Hussein Chalayan, who typically presents his collections in Paris, has been incorporating LED, lasers and digital technology into his collection for years (you can see some specific examples here). Lady Gaga aside, there are few people who can pull these garments off, however. For a look at more commercial approaches, we’ve rounded up some of the sleekest takes on wearable tech.
From Minkoff to Wang, The Designers Doing Wearable Tech Right
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Google x Diane von Furstenberg
DVF made headlines back in 2012 when she took her runway bow sporting these frames, which allow the wearer to share photos, make calls, shoot videos, scroll newsfeeds and update social media, all via voice-activation.
DVF Made For Glass, $1,800
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Rebecca Minkoff x Case-Mate
Rebecca Minkoff has teamed up with Case-Mate and will be launching her wearable tech collection at her Spring 2015 runway show. The collection includes two bracelets; one that alerts the wearer to calls and texts via Bluetooth and another that connects to a USB cable to sync or charge a mobile device. Both will launch just in time for the holiday season.
Bracelets, $120 for the former, $60 for the latter
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Ralph Lauren
Unveiled at the US Open, Ralph Lauren’s smart compression shirt will be available for sale in the spring. The first of its kind, it requires no wires or straps, but instead uses biosensing silver fibers woven into the shirt’s nylon compression material to gauge a number of metrics (heart rate, breathing levels, stress, the number of steps a person has taken and the amount of calories burned). Data goes from the shirt to an attached black box to an app on your smartphone/tablet.
Polo Tech Shirt, price has not been announced
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Opening Ceremony x Intel
Opening Ceremony and Intel have teamed up for a bracelet that will be sold exclusively at Barneys. It will be the first in a series of products Intel plans to launch in the coming months in partnership with various fashion brands. What exactly the bracelet will do, how much it will cost and when it will go on sale are all slated to be announced in the coming weeks.
Bracelet, price has not been announced
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Alexander Wang
Wang caused a stir when his Fall 2014 show closed with models wearing clothing made of heat-sensitive fabrics that change color with the temperature.
Alexander Wang, prices vary
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Tory Burch For Fitbit
Burch has launched a collection of jewelry that incorporates Fitbit's step, sleep and calorie-tracking capabilities (tracker often sold separately).
Tory Burch For Fitbit, $38-$195
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Natalia Allen
Natalia Allen is leading the way in changing how clothing is manufactured. The designer uses robots to create all of her seamless dresses. Learn more about her ethics-minded approach here.
Dresses, prices vary
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Michael Bastian x HP
HP tapped designer Michael Bastian to design a high-tech smart watch, which will be sold on Gilt. The watch will allow users to call, receive text and email notifications and manage music and apps. It’s slated to launch in the coming weeks.
Smart watch, price has not been announced
