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Chromat x Shine S/S15

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Chromat x Shine S/S15

Brooklyn based lingerie and swimwear brand Chromat has undoubtedly carved out a niche for barely-there sci-fi bondage clothing. From arousing spectators at their first runway show last season with their Bionic Bodies collection (LED light-up pieces worn by trans models) to outfitting Beyonce’s dancers at the VMA’s in August with custom cage masks. Earlier this month at New York Fashion Week, the line premiered their Spring/Summer 2015 collection and joined the coterie of fashion labels delving into wearable technology. Chromat partnered with Misfits Wearables, makers of Shine––the fitness and sleep monitor with a round watch-like LED display that can be worn on your wrist like it’s competitors UP and Fitbit, or can be tacked onto any garment with a clip. For the collection Chromat integrated the device onto their signature architectural pieces which included neck cages, arm guards, harnesses, and handbags. The addition of functional tech built into several different pieces, (not to mention real sized models) gave the collection a truly modern appeal and an edge on other fashion tech makers who have yet to branch out from the wrist variation. In an interview with Opening Ceremony earlier this year, designer Becca McCharen spoke about the prospects for wearable tech “I think the future is technology that can alter your reality, because it already knows what you are thinking and it can change how you feel. We do sports bras and lingerie that are the first layer next to your skin, so maybe we can create something that could sense your body temperature and regulate it.”

—by Shannan Elinor Smith

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Chromat x Shine S/S15

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Chromat x Shine S/S15

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Chromat x Shine S/S15

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Richard Nicoll x Studio XO S/S15 LED dress

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Richard Nicoll x Studio XO S/S15 LED Dress

Richard Nicoll's LED dress collaboration with Studio XO is a sure sign that fashion is pulling wearable tech back into the realm of aesthetics and style, shifting away from the tired practice of designing wearing communication devices. This season, Nicoll's S/S15 collection revealed a glowing, 90s slip dress inspired by Tinkerbell, the fairy. Studio XO, who have developed flashy LED gowns for musical acts in the past, created this dreamy dress using fibre optic fabric. Nicoll's simple design is perfectly enhanced by this subtle and innovative use of technology.

—by Marissa Stuart, Runway Editor

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Richard Nicoll x Studio XO for S/S15 LED dress

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Richard Nicoll x Studio XO LED dress S/S15

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L_A_N Issue 3 Digital Launch Party at Waka Waka NYC

L_A_N Issue 3 is finally here! Come join the creators, contributors and featured artists next Wednesday at Waka Waka for our digital launch party! The amazing Oliver Sabin (STADIUM) and Justin Briand (WAVEJUMPER) will be DJing and we have purchased our first ever space-chilled keg. 

Remember to bring a USB if you'd like your own special edition digital launch copy.

https://www.facebook.com/events/330867260428214/?ref_dashboard_filter=hosting

—by Veronica So, Editor-in-Chief

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"I'm so fucking future"

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A smartphone traffic lane in Chongqing, China

Coming off of fashion week, I'm guilty of instagramming and texting while walking more than ever- who has time to sit down to send an email? Meanwhile in China, a 165-foot stretch of pavement has been split in two lanes with a fresh line of white paint, one side designated to phone-occupied pedestrians to use at their "own risk," and the other marked strictly "no cell phones." Naturally, people have been happily snapping photos of the new lanes on their phones, but not staying in them.

—by Veronica So, Editor-in-Chief

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A smartphone traffic lane in Chongqing, China

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A smartphone traffic lane in Chongqing, China

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A smartphone traffic lane in Chongqing, China

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A smartphone traffic lane in Chongqing, China