E-fashion Fusionist at Futur en Seine Festival in Paris
So honoured to be invited for the Futur en Seine Festival last Juni in Paris. In this lovely venue of La Villette I was being interviewed by Carolien van Tilburg from Atelier Néerlandais. I’ll introduce myself first: I operate on the cutting edge of fashion technology and fashion design. Through my business by-wire.net I stimulate collaboration between the fashion industry and technicians for a relevant fashion system and supportive garments for everyday use. As a teacher, coach and researcher, I work for the fashion department in the Utrecht school of Arts, textile department at Saxion University for applied science and industrial design faculty in the Eindhoven University of Technology. All based in The Netherlands.
Carolien asked me what I actually do: what is it actually that you do?
Answer: I take a very hands-on approach in bridging the gap between the latest technologies being developed in the technical research institutes and universities and that what fashion designers develop to be worn. It frustrates me that everything is innovating, our cars our phones, but garments remained the same for the last 60 decades. Polyester was the last material innovation widely accepted by the fashion industry. And our production methods are actually exactly the same as when Levi’s started their first mass production end 1800. And that while there are many relevant technological advance available and being developed.
I work for technical companies like Philips Research and Holst Centre. But also for work wear and fashion designers. Via prototyping and showing the world what is possible I try to bridge fashion and technology and make intelligent garments available for the everyday user.
After showing some projects Carolien made this remark: “Seems like this supportive and caring garments is really your core focus and ambition.”
Answer: Yes, this supportive work wear collection for nurses shows it really well. The garments are made of recyclable materials with the least possible environmental impact. They are constructed in a way that they support a better posture for nurses during their very physical jobs. An interactive element is added to make the wearer aware when she is moving or standing too long in a wrong posture. It is vibrating. On the long run the devices stores your data on a app so that the wearer can learn more about your posture and adjust your behaviour accordingly to this information.
Antje Fisseler: How clothes can help nurses’ to have a better posture — awesome! @MToeters #fens2017 #FuturEnSeine #futureofwork #creation pic.twitter.com/EbZEVII3uz
I hope that you know a little bit of my work now. In my next posts I’ll dive in some of my other design projects and give you more insightes in what I am aiming at in this exciting field of fashion technology. In the mean time, find more info about my work at www.by-wire.net For specific requests and collaborations: email me at marina@by-wire.net
