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I have a really strong interest in fabrication. I really enjoy creating new things, whether it be by programming, woodcrafting, robotics, scratchbuilding or, in the case of my newest hobby, sewing. You can imagine my excitement, then, when I saw that there was a panel at SXSW Interactive entitled, "High Tech Crafts: Why Sewing and Knitting Still Matter."
The panelists included Mouna Andraos, Alison Lewis, Syuzi Pakhchyan, Diana Eng (of Project Runway) and Natalie Zee Drieu (Founder, Craft Magazine). All of the above have been active in the advancement of combining fabric with technology. Attendees got to see Alison Lewis' light-up purse and even interact with her flexible, sound-activated vases that utilized test-tubes in its design. Mouna Andraos showed her MP3-playing scarf and her polyurethane block night-light, which were both examples of re-engineering existing technology into new forms.
Mouna Andraos explained that the mixing of fabric and technology involves a lot of forward engineering, reverse engineering and what she calls, "Remixing" - stitching, hacking and re-desiging.
One interesting topic that came up was with regard to the copying of ideas. The panel pointed out that "borrowing" ideas and patterns is generally accepted and expected between companies in the industry and that, in fact, many high-end clothing companies are venturing into high-tech elements in their fashions as a way to discourage lower-end companies from easily copying their designs.
The panel generally agreed that people interested in getting into high-tech crafting should find a supportive group of friends to share their passion and ideas with and to, basically, just jump in and get their hands "dirty." There's not a right way or a wrong way to approach this field; it's more important to try different things and find what works for you and, for that matter, what works, in general.
When it came time for questions and answers, I asked if there were any companies making ready-to-use components for this sort of fabrication, rather than everything having to be sourced from existing electronics or speically modified by the person making the craft. Diana Eng indicated that there weren't really any compaines catering specifically to their craft, but she indicated that the SparkFun website had some very applicable products, especially the LillyPad line of products. These products are designed to be connected with conductive thread, making them perfect for most high-tech fabric craft projects.
For further investigation, readers interested in this subject may want to look into "Fashioning Technology: A DIY Intro to Smart Crafting (by Syuzi Pakhchyan)" and "TechStyle: Create Wired Wearables and Geeky Gear (by Diana Eng and Natalie Zee Drieu)
," two books written by members of this panel, or Craft Magazine. |