Multimedia-Fashion

"Influencers are the golden children of marketing strategies right now. Rebecca Minkoff even put influencers front and center in her New York Fashion Week runway show, featuring several popular fashion bloggers-including Chriselle Lim and Arielle Charnas-as models in her Greene Street production. Influencers are the new celebrity endorsements."

A collaboration between Victoria's Secret and Swarovski has seen 3D-printed lingerie hit the catwalk in New York. Architect Bradley Rothenberg was invited to help realize the one-of-a-kind design and 3D printing specialist Shapeways provided the technical know-how. The result is a sparkling, snowflake-inspired corset that provided one of the highlights during this year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

"For its wearable computer to be accepted, Google must convince people that the device isn't creepy."

"On the surface the problem with wearables - and smartwatches in particular - is that the technology just isn't mature enough to support the ambitions. Screen resolutions may have improved, processors made more efficient and sensors miniaturised, but it's still hugely challenging technically to squeeze everything into a surface area the size of a watch face - and to keep it all going for any reasonable length of time."

researchers recently found that men wearing tailor-made suits were assumed to be more confident, successful, flexible, and higher earning than those wearing an off-the-rack version. And these are guys in suits! What might your colleagues think of your "vintage" Coachella T-shirt or "dressy" flip-flops?

"Runway models, long cast as expressionless figures showcasing Fashion Week's finest wears, are finding their own voice on social media. Sometimes that can land them big endorsement deals. Or, it can backfire. Leslie Yazel explains. Photo: facebook.com/officialKateUpton."

The sci-fi future where the co-evolution of human and machine pushes us towards a singularity is nearly upon us, but before we step into the realm of the cyborg, we're going to have to first get comfortable with the idea of wearable technology. We need look no further than Google Glass, which has occupied many a newspaper inch this past year, but the futuristic glasses are just the tip of the wearable tech iceberg. Analysts from research and analytics firm IHS predict that demand for wearable gadgets will go from 14 million to 200 million devices over the next two years.

Fashion Week needs reinvention. It's a perfect opportunity for innovators to come up with big ideas to 1) reach more of the world instantaneously and simultaneously; 2) unleash designers' creativity via animation, film, 3-D printing and interactivity; and 3) drive the discovery of new designers.

A Kickstarter project that launched this week wants to put a mic on your wrist, for constant audio monitoring, in a twist on the wearable tech and quantified self movement. The Kapture, as it's called, pairs with an iOS and Android smartphone app that allows for quick sharing of audio clips recorded by the hardware wristband, which is constantly recording audio to a 60 second, recycling buffer.

GlassUp is a prototype pair of augmented reality specs that does not include a camera. It's currently seeking funds to start manufacturing on Indiegogo. The glasses are designed to allow the wearer to receive text-based messages and updates overlaid over the central portion of their field of vision - so while they intrude on the wearer's vision, they can't be accused of intruding on the privacy of the people around them.

The Man Ring is a luxury piece of jewelry that hides an assortment of useful tools including a bottle opener, a saw and a comb.

"Ready to hit the beach? Brooklyn-based designer Andrew Schneider is now taking orders for his solar-powered bikini. Capable of charging your cellphone or MP3 player, the high-tech swimsuit comprises thin, flexible photovoltaic film strips and USB connectors, woven together with conductive thread. Each bikini, coming in at just under $200, is entirely hand-stitched, requiring an average of 80 hours to make. No need to worry about your iPod running out of juice; the solar bikini will charge your favorite gadgets while you soak up the rays."

Hah, not a lot of swimming done in this one right?

There are two particularly interesting things about the video. The first is that precisely one other person is seen wearing Glass, and it's a fellow sky-diver covered in safety gear. The second is that one of the shots is from the POV of a model on a runway. We suspect that the first fact belies the message of the second: Runway model or no, Google Glass isn't all that great to look at. It's clear that Google is conscious of the fashion implications of a gadget that you wear on your face, and they are trying to position it as a high end item of style. After Sergey Brin jumped out of a zeppelin for I/O, the next place Google debuted the device was New York Fashion Week 2012.

"You're looking at the first fully articulated 3D-printed dress. Printed off at Shapeways, the piece was designed by Michael Schmidt and Francis Bitoni specifically for burlesque star Dita Von Teese. In the future, this is the kind of clothing you might be able to get from a department store."