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Fashion Tech Does Not Belong Exclusively to the Realm of Fashion Design

What does Fashion Tech mean to you? Does it mean anything? Recently I found myself messing with my own mind over this. I tend to mess with my own mind often, if it isn’t ensuring I’ve unplugged the fan heater – as if the cable were to magically jump back into the socket, as soon as I turned my back – I’ll concern myself with other seemingly more intelligent things.

Earlier this month ASOS and Wayra announced their “Fashion Tech Accelerator” and then followed it up with ….”but no wearables or 3D printing”. They might have broken that news more gently, but it irked some people. No, no, no this isn’t Fashion Tech said they, this is Retail Tech. Insert annoyed animated giffy.

I’ve never really cared about definitions, if Fashion Tech included spaceship design it wouldn’t bother me in the least. When Wearable Tech now includes drones that jump off your arm to go take photos (and hopefully return) it becomes clear that we are living in an era where definitions are at their best murky.

When people got irked, I got worried. I tend to worry about almost anything, but this was a real worry – I was worried not about what that definition encompasses – but the fact that we are still a society concerned with “allocating” to categories. Having come this far, why do we still have an undying need to allocate and define? You see, I get it, its nice to have things “belong” in categories, in places in spaces. Hence my fan heater obsession. I guess it makes things easier, or does it? and for whom? and really, why?

In an interview with Third Wave Fashion Charlie O’Donnell, Founder of Brooklyn Bridge Ventures says about Fashion Tech:

“There is no such thing… Technology is both a channel and a best practice around delivering a product. It could mean a unique and convenient purchase experience or it could mean a means to acquire a customer, but unless you’re experimenting with materials science, you’re really just following your customer. Since they use digital technology, you need to as well.”

The home page of the  New York Fashion Tech Lab outlines its mission as  “Innovating at the Intersection of Fashion, Retail and Technology”

Danielle Lewis, Founder & CEO of Scrunch.co in an interview with Open source Fashion says:

“Fashion tech means anything that either combines ‘fashion’ in its traditional sense, clothing or accessories or that targets the fashion industry and technology. As a result it is very broad! From wearables to software and everything in between! Perhaps its most defining feature is the passionate community that has emerged in support of this movement.”

What becomes clear in these statements is not that there is a particular agreement on one definition, but that there is acknowledgement on the merging of boundaries.

The fitbits and exercise trackers that we see, (aka Wearable Tech) those were borne out of the health discipline. They certainly seem to be headed in the fashion direction though – evidenced by the countless folks that are happy to show them off  whilst taking the elevator to the second floor, Cinnabon in hand. Yes, you know who you are!  Is that Fashion Tech, Wearable Tech? or is it Health Tech? I think that we’re at an interesting juncture with things.

The well known spider dress from pioneering designer Annouk Wipprecht is about social and anxiety issues, her collections are based on humans feeling better – mentally and physically – (yes, please don’t mess me about while I’m wearing this dress, and whoever stands too close to me on transit – don’t say you weren’t warned!) Again, this is a wellness and health-related driver, that has culminated in a fashion form.

There is no doubt inherent artistry in Fashion Design, so, while I can understand some design folks getting worked up about the murkiness of categories – we really must not forget that the drivers behind design are very much external. Currently those massive drivers are health-related or other utilitarian concerns.

As another example, 3D printing which is gaining increasing importance in the realm of Fashion Tech, is set to democratize the fashion scape precisely because it gives next generation designers the ability to produce individualized and unique products in lower quantities, made to order, while reducing the dollar burden. This technology thereby opens up countless opportunities, giving designers access to markets that were once out of reach.

When it comes to new retail technologies, not only do they open up markets to new designers, they also support designers by acting as a crucial connection point to their customers, providing feedback and input into their creations. Moda Operandi and Stitch Collective are just two such cases.

While it becomes clear that Fashion Tech means different things to different people, for me, it certainly incorporates both Retail and Design. Fashion Design cannot exist in a vacuum.

In order for next generation fashion pioneers to truly flourish, retail technologies that reflect and accurately capture the essence of “the now” and “the future” must be developed in tandem. With this in mind, I believe it is absolutely crucial that conversations around Fashion Tech include Retail Tech.

When Fashion Tech is so focused on its collaboration with engineers and scientists, it can be almost counter-productive to view Fashion Tech and Retail Tech as distinct entities.

Perhaps the discussion should move away from categorizing and defining to how we can truly create collaborative ventures between disciplines. Perhaps in this spirit Fashion Design should drop the exclusivity mindset and move away from attempting to claim ownership to the Fashion Tech title by truly embracing the Innovation Mindset of collaboration.