Kate Bauer

Objective: To hack/ transform an inexpensive existing electronic device into a wearable device

Device #1: CalBand

The CalBand was created using the circuit board from a calculator. It is a device worn on the wrist (similar to a watchband), that a person might wear to do grocery shopping if on a budget. This allows the user to add up the potential purchase, as items are added into the cart.

Device #3: HatTunes

A cassette player was opened and sewn into the back of a hat. Speakers from the headphones were sewn into the interior of the hat. This hat eliminates the need for wires; good for sports such as snowboarding or ice climbing (where wires could get in the way of the user.)

Several things have fascinated me, which I have considered in terms of their usage in wearable technolocy.

One has to do with memory: how memory is translated into clothing, how clothing -in effect- collects and/or triggers memory.

Another topic resides in the issue of functionality. There are certain objects that are always in hand, pocket or another article of clothing; such as a wallet, cell phone, keys. What better ways can we integrate these devices into everyday wear, perhaps being in something like a watch or other piece of jewelery that hardly ever comes off. Eliminating the necessity of retrievel of these objects before leaving the house.

I am also interested in certain technologies that people need in order to survive. For example, someone with diabetes has to check his/her blood sugar level with a little device every day. It has to be carried around if leaving the house for more than one day. What if this device were transportable? I heard of some kind of watch that was being created to do this but it is not the kind of watch you would wear with a gown, if you were going to the opera. How can this device be fitted to become almost invisible and non-obtrusive to the person’s choice of clothing?

These are just some ideas so far. More to come…

Objective:To make an item of clothing using the following materials: wool, cotton, leather, an electric component, conductive fabric or thread

The Warning Vest

The Warning Vest is a garment that enables the user to send a relatively discreet signal to a friend nearby, to alert that friend in places or situations where gestures and eye movements are difficult to interpret.

This can be used in a situation that might occur in a bar. For example, a friend walks over to talk to someone. Soon after, an unwanted stranger approaches. You want to signal to your friend to come over to “save” you, but it is dark and difficult to understand certain hand gestures and eye signals.

The vest is equipped with an LED, battery and the circuit. When the vest is closed in the center, the conductable fabric completes the circuit and the LED lights up.

“Fashion is about experimentation.”

Today, there experimentation is not only relevant to the style and different uses for the materials that are currently available. Now exists a move toward the development of technology that allows clothing to perform more function than ever.

In the world of tomorrow, we may see people wearing colored gases adherent to their bodies, aerosol used to spray the body, garments created directly from liquid or powder, or even a series of atoms that can be re-arranged as desired.

Fashion has evolved to include more uses of technology, especially in the sports arena. The importance of comfort, practicality, performance, and the expression of status and fantasy still exist. It is essential for the technology in fashion to comply to the following requirements:
- transcend functionality
- be invisible
- intuitive
- enhance our experiences

__________________________________________________________

Elsa Schiaparelli (1890-1973)

Proof that studying philosophy rarely leads to regular employment, Schiaparelli worked as a script writer in the US before moving to Paris in the late 1920s to open a boutique. Her designs were characterized by their bold use of color, particularly shocking pink and ice blue, which both became sensations when she introduced them. One of her most memorable designs was a tall hat in the shape of a shoe.

Her dresses and suits of the 1930s with squared, padded shoulders changed the female figure. She originated the idea of separates for sports clothes. She was the first designer to use zippers and man-made fabrics for her fashions. She expanded her line of clothing to include hats, perfume, jewelry, cosmetics lingerie and swimwear. A New York store opened in 1949, specializing in mass-producing her suit designs.

Objective: Create 2 masks- one that you think represents you and one that “hides” you