Wearables have become one of the biggest buzzwords in fashion and technology since Apple announced their first smartwatch in 2014. Over the past few years, we’ve seen a great number of companies and start-ups try to launch wearable tech products for the most part unsuccessfully, with the exception of the triumphant fitness trackers.
Fashion technology lab, Switch Embassy wants to help brands navigate this new and unfamiliar landscape by consulting them on how build “aesthetically and socially-driven” fashion technology products. We sat down at SXSW with Founder and CEO, Alison Lewis to chat about her company, the partnerships they’ve been building, and the future of wearables.
FN: So, what exactly is Switch Embassy? What do you do?
AL: Switch Embassy is a fashion technology lab. We consult with brands and technology providers on building wearable and textile technology products. This means we work with clothing, interiors, accessories and more. Over the years we’ve realized there is a great need for interpreters between fashion and technology to ensure product success. We working as that lead to bridge the gaps between the two worlds with facilitating events, concept development, prototyping, and product strategy.
FN: How did you get into fashion, technology, and wearables? As CEO of a fashion technology lab, what does your day-to-day look like?
AL: I started back in 2002, as a graduate student at Parsons School of Design. It was at Parsons where I discovered fashion technology courses and engineering and it blew my mind. If you can build something with technical fabrics and hardware for the body, you can build anything. It’s the most challenging discipline from both a design and a technological standpoint. The human body requires a great deal of thought to design around safely.
Day-to-day duties oscillate between project proposals, client strategy calls, and building physical prototypes. I’m still very hands on with the design strategy and physically building, but I spend most of my days figure out solutions for other companies.
FN: Tell us about tshirtOS - how did this partnership with Ballentine’s come about? What other exciting partnerships do you have coming down the pipeline?
AL: We met Ballentine’s in Paris at LeWeb while we were presenting there. One of the people running their campaign came and saw our work and called us about a week later. Honestly, it has so far been my favorite project to work on and the guys from their PR firm, WorkClub, were so professional and really allowed us to go through the innovation process.
What’s next is you can pre-order one of our Italian leather color changing handbags online, called Geometry Darling. These bags are a pet project of mine and there will only be 200 pieces made. We’ve taken great care to create a truly luxurious experience that is subtle and fashionable. They are made by the same manufacturer of Chanel and Gucci north of Florence, Italy. Delivery is Fall 2017.
FN: What are some new developments that you are most excited about? Which fashion designers or brands are getting it right?
AL: The best and newest developments are in the manufacturing of the electronic textiles. From thin-heat panels for staying warm to illuminating cyclists for safety, it’s the streamlining of the manufacturing process that is really where it’s at right now. I know it’s not sexy, but it’s true. If the manufacturing isn’t there, the industry can’t exist. Of what I see on the market, I think my favorite use of wearable tech right now is Like A Glove. I’ve seen thousands of software developers trying to solve how to do clothing fit and sizing, then a wearable tech person put some electronics into a pair of yoga stretch pants, and voila! They solved it!
FN: What do wearables look like in the next few years?
AL: For the future, I’m interested in safety, as well as aesthetics. For safety, there is a lot of research right now around exact geospatial location so you can know where someone is, including their location inside a building and altitude. Imagine knowing where someone is if they are in danger like a person that is being attacked or electrical worker on the job. Location and safety is a world changing opportunity space.
For experience and aesthetics, I am interested in the prospect of Augmented Reality glasses combined with technical textiles. This is where layers of information can be laid on top of the clothing or interior product adding a new dimension of personalized experiences. Imagine being able to follow along with a book as the illustrations appear around you in physical space without having to hold your phone as you run around.
