Tech Firms Seek Inspiration From Fashion

Big name tech brands are reaching out to fashion designers to help take their wearable products to the next level, an expert has told Sky News.

Advances in technology could see a rising number of collaborations between tech companies and fashion experts.

Matthew Drinkwater, the head of innovation at the London College of Fashion, said: "I think what's held fashion and technology back to this point is the fact that technology brands have great tech but aren't great at producing fashionable items."

The design school is currently working on a project with Microsoft for London Fashion Week.

Earlier this year it linked up with Nokia for a separate joint venture showcasing a 3D printed skirt covered in mobile handsets.

While the showpiece was never meant for everyday wear, Nokia said the project was about "exploring the possibilities of smart technology and fashion coming together".

Roberta Lucca, the co-founder of fashion tech start-up Wonderluk, which sells 3D printed jewellery, said an era of customisation had begun.

She said: "These days we all live in smaller places and (have) smaller wardrobes as well. You don't have space for all of your dresses, so it would be fantastic if in the future you just press a button and you'd be able to 3D print your dress for the evening."

Other "fash tech" pioneers are taking future clothing ideas even further.

Studio XO - the company that helped create Lady Gaga's famous flying dress - is looking at the concept of "digital skin", featuring luminescent micro robots in human veins making skin glow in patterns.

Staff at the London College of Fashion said they are developing courses to better digitally equip the next generation of designers.

Karinna Nobbs, senior lecturer at LCF, said getting highly-creative students to bring things like coding into their work can be challenging.

"We try and get them to see that stuff as a source of inspiration," she said.

"So for instance, a fashion designer might look at the structure of coding ... to influence maybe a silhouette or a surface texture design."

Technology's influence on fashion is not confined to the catwalk, and the way we pick and purchase our clothes is changing too.

Some websites, like Fits.me, enable customers to virtually try on every possible size of your chosen item in just a few clicks.

Others, including Avenue Imperial, allow online shoppers walk around a virtual store.

The site's chief executive, Nicolas Rossi, told Sky News: "Recent history has again shown that those brands who have embraced digital and innovation have outperformed those that haven't."