SMART SKINCARE PATCH OF THE WEEK
The beauty industry just keeps on booming, leading to the development of a new innovation that could very well change the ways in which we take care of our skin. Created as a collaboration between America’s Northwestern University and the University of Illinois, this smart skin patch might only be a 5cm square, but it’s packed with thousands of miniature liquid crystal sensors. With the ability to detect alterations in heat using a substrate underlay, the patch changes color when it senses an issue. Ultra-light and flexible, it can be placed on the body and worn 24 hours a day, helping the user monitor skin dryness, and even cardiovascular trouble. In the future, you’ll never fall behind on your moisturizing game again.
FASHION WEEK POP-UP OF THE WEEK
With Paris ending things with a bang this week, fashion month is officially over until the next season. Far removed from the catwalk, the much-hyped Apple Watch made its public debut on Tuesday, the special guest star of a pop-up shop at cult boutique Colette that had crowds queuing all around the block. Even though the gadget was supposedly off-limits to the sticky fingers of the public, pics soon surfaced on Twitter of supermodel Karlie Kloss rocking one (“#iWant”), and Anna Wintour and Karl Lagerfeld are said to have been given personal introductions to the watch too. The fashion world is still, it seems, all about who you know.
Videos by VICE
MAGNETIZED DESIGNER COLLECTION OF THE WEEK
Iris Van Herpen returned to PFW with yet another forward-thinking, tech-connected collection (man, I just love her—this is the same lady who’s implemented 3D-printed pieces, and suspended models in vacuum packing in previous shows). This time around, van Herpen returns to 3D-printed garments, replete with unusual accessories ‘grown’ with magnets. Inspired by a visit to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the designer collaborated with Dutch artist Jolan van der Wiel and Canadian architect Philip Beesley to create jewelry, bags, belts, and shoes made out of metal-infused textures manipulated by magnetic fields. This is one of those rare cases where we can safely say no two looks are exactly the same.
AIR PURIFYING ONESIE OF THE WEEK
I see you out there, guy; you own a onesie and you don’t like to talk about it much. Who could blame you? But now, a new style of onesie has been developed with smart, eco-friendly properties tailor-made to make the garment cool again. Made of 3D knit fabric, the BB.Suit 0.2 was recently featured at BJDM Beijing Design Week 2014, where it demonstrated both built-in air purification and filtering capabilities. The onesie also comes complete with cold plasma tech, which can enable interactive communication, and an atmosphere tracking sensor, GPS, and Wi-Fi.
#SELFIE-INSPIRED GADGET OF THE WEEK
We recently revealed the finalists of the Make it Wearable competition for budding tech entrepreneurs. The competing teams included a project called Nixie—a wearable tech quadcopter drone that’s just perfect for taking selfies. Powered by an Intel Edison chip, the lightweight device is worn on the arm, and then, with a simple gesture, unfolds and takes off. With its ability to bank and take an image of the user, the slight arm strain suffered from selfie addictions will soon be a thing of the past.
#MUSTHAVE ACCESSORY OF THE WEEK
In the wake of the excitement of fashion week (even if you were attending via Style.com… in your underwear), it’s the perfect time to unwind with a bit of yoga. Enter SmartMat, a portable lifestyle accessory that helps you smash your Downward Dog with visual and verbal tips on how to achieve perfect poses. The mat is constructed with conductive fabric laid over piezoresistive material, which alters its electrical resistance when pressure is applied. Upon sensing use, the mat sends data to an Android or iOS app for user feedback. The idea is that in the future, more people will be able to do yoga at home, without the need for pricey classes or instructors. It’s one step closer towards never having to leave home again.
Related:
Viral Style #65: Mood-Sensing Dresses, Fake Human Appendages, And iPhone-Charging Longboards
