We've been experimenting with the laser cutter to see what we can create. 

With a gear generator tool built by Dzl and an ability to draw some shapes, we created "Steampunk butterflies" and the very geeky steampunk backpack for a costume party.

The laser cut butterflies and gears were made from ikea packing materials, namely, the leftover cardboard that our new costume closet (wardrobe) came in. We thought we should give them a second life and so we decided to laser cut and spray paint gold the cardboard which gave it a really nice look. 

Photos of the process are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/geekphysical/sets/72157629162864775/

Also used some of the extra butterflies as eye makeup:

When I saw this pair of Juicy Couture ear muff headphones, I knew I needed to DIY a set. I ended up making two, with requests for many more. BTW, I live in LA so hopefully you can see the irony in this. 

My first version was created with off-the-shelf headband and faux fur. With the second pair, I decided to make it a bit more "rock and roll." I dyed my own fabric and designed the headband using leather and spikes I had lying around the studio. 

This project is pretty addictive. It's super easy to make and you can style your ear muff headphones in so many different ways! They also make great gifts. 

The great part of this design is that the cord is detachable so the cord will not get in the way when you simply want to use them as ear muffs. …

Carmen cropped jacket with ‘Antoinette’ appliqué. 

Adding to their collection of playful hydrochromic ink umbrellas, SquidLondon has introduced a rainwear collection of three color changing jackets. These lovely coats will make you want to splash in puddles and dance in the rain! 

Juliette trench coat with ‘Wildflower’ appliqué.

When dry, the coats are monochromatic in color with white flower motifs. When exposed to rain, the garments blossom into a lovely array of colors. 

Madame Butterfly jacket with ‘Peacock’ appliqué.…

First pitched by inventor Fredrik Lundqvist, MD on a Swedish reality show Dragon’s Den, Elektrodress has received 2 million SEK (about 300 K US) for research funding. The electrode suit is designed for individuals suffering from Multiple Scelerosis, Cerebral Palsy, Parksinon's and various other nerve disorders. 

The basic idea behind the wearable rehabilitative suit is that the electrodes can provide electronic muscle stimulation (EMS) and vibration therapy to help the body relax, increase movement and ultimately function better. 

I'm delighted to see funding for wearable technology projects that have the ability to improve millions of lives. 

Watch a segment from the show below.…

Iris Van Herpen's vision of an earthy, techno-futurism translates into sensuous, otherworldly forms that push the boundaries of construction, materially and couture itself. 

It is Van Herpen's ingenious use of technology combined with master craftsmanship that give her garments their deceptively organic feel. 

The show opened with her signature exoskeleton dress, this time made from hundreds of iridescent semi-circular pieces of plexiglas, modeled first on a computer, and later number-coded and hand-stitched onto the garment. 

 …

Anouk Wipprecht is a rising star in the field of wearable design. A rare combination of sartorial knowhow combined with engineering smarts and style, she has in a very few short years created an impressive body of fashiontech designs combining intimate interaction such as “Intimacy Black,” a ‘disappearing’ dress, or ”DareDroid,” a robotic dress which plays truth or dare with you and serves you cocktails, to integrated shape-changing displays such as the self-ink-staining dresses of “Pseudomorphs,” or Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas 2011 SuperBowl outfit! I interviewed Anouk to find out more about her process, goals, and insider vision of the fashiontech industry.

BACKGROUND

What is your background?



I studied Fashion Design for two years of at a preparatory fashion school in Amsterdam, four years at the Modelyceum (Fashion College) where I studied couture/tailoring, and four years for a Bachelor in Fashion Design at Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht (HKU). Combined with that I did one and a half years of Interaction Design at the…

If you live in London, I encourage you to drop by the V&A to check out two garments, a shawl and a cape, woven entirely from spider silk.  1.2 million Golden Orb spiders were employed to create the beautiful cape on display. The cape itself is not dyed; the golden color is the natural hue of the spider's silk.  The garment took over 3 years to produce and 80 people to weave and embroider. 

The project was the brainchild of American fashion designer Nicholas Godley and British art historian and textile expert Simon Peers. 

The material is extremely strong and incredibly light. And as Godley himself describes:…

With last week's introduction of the Nike+ Fuelband, the competition for the best digital pedometer begins. The three contenders are the Nike+ Fuelband, Jawbone Up and the Fitbit Ultra. 

As a disclaimer, I have not used any of these devices so the following comparison is purely based on their feature sets. If you have used any of these gadgets, please share your experiences in the comments below. 

Let's start with the sensors. All three pretty much use a 3 axis accelerometer to determine movement. The Fitbit also includes an altimeter which measures the altitude of an object so it can tell if you are climbing stairs. 

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Just in case you missed it, Adafruit designed a new robust wearable electronics platform named Flora. The video above explains all its features.

Can't wait to get my hands on it!

It's conference season and the first must attend conference of the year is Smart Fabrics 2012 taking place April 17-19 in Miami. Join me this year to meet some of the major players from the fashion, electronics, research, academia, and action sports industry.

In addition to the wonderful talks (see full conference agenda here), two pre-conference workshops are offered. I'm particularly looking forward to the "Electronic Textile Interface Swatch Book Workshop" led by Clint Zeagler.

Below is a description of the workshop (including schedule):

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