Wearable technology, specifically with integrated LED lighting, has been on the rise at major fashion events such as the global Fashion Weeks. In 2012, designer Philip Treacy debuted a line of LED hats, and Dutch Princess Marilène of Orange made an appearance at the Rijksmuseum in 2014 donning an LED collar.
This perhaps unlikely trend became more of a reality at this year’s Fashion Week in London, New York and Paris as designers showcased their latest innovations on the runways. LED lighting is quickly becoming an “it” item in the fashion world.
CuteCircuit, a company that focuses on wearable technology and interactive fashion, introduced an iPhone-controlled mini skirt. That’s right: you can now control your clothing using your smartphone. Using a special Bluetooth app and a microscopic chip inside the garment, users can now change the color or pattern of their skirt. The app, “Q by CuteCircuit,” allows the user to download different patterns and connect other pieces of clothing and accessories that house the same chip. With this kind of technology, fashion is truly individual and customizable.
The company’s skirt was such a hit that its designers, Francesca Rosella and Ryan Genz, turned it up a notch this at this year’s Fashion Week. The two have now connected the app to Twitter. The wearer of the garment can now create a hashtag, and have their friends’ Tweets broadcasted on their clothing when they use that specific hashtag.