According to the Forum of the Future, (FOTF) "The global fashion industry generates over a trillion dollars a year. So what we wear - and how it's made and sold - can have a huge positive impact on our society and environment."

(Above: one of Spiral Magazine's Animated Avatars by Designers Reed + Rader)

Augmented Reality or AR is a term for for "a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are merged with (or augmented by) virtual computer-generated imagery - creating a mixed reality."

"Everything has an end. The cycle of life is a positive thing because it gives room for new things to come." - McQueen

It has been almost two weeks since I learned about Alexander McQueen's tragic suicide. When it happened, I didn't want to blog about it because it felt too personal and deeply depressing. For me, iHeartSwitch is about moving forward with technology in a positive light, not mourning the past. But sometimes, you have to acknowledge and share your pain in order to move past it. I am lucky enough to have a venue to do that and I know many of you were also deeply shocked and hurt by his passing as well, so you won’t mind if I get a little personal.

It's Fashion Week 2010 and the signature cool and futuristic cozy style of Rodarte hit the runway with beautiful glowing heels. Come back at 6:00 P.M. EST and I'll show you how to make your own little lighted darlings. Images from HighSnobette and theFrisky

What you are looking at here is the cover of Tricks with Makeup, a pamphlet published by Ladies' Home Journal circa 1940s. What would be the wisdom you may find within?

The "Klight" dress is designed by Mareike Michel, a fashion design student at the University of Applied Science in Berlin, Germany. What makes this demure LBD so special is the stretchable PCB. For those who don't know, a PCB stands for "printed circuit board" and they are the boards that hold and connect the main components of a computerized system like you find inside your cellphone, computer, and other electronic devices (see below). They are very hard and inflexible and usually difficult to integrate into fabric unless your looking for something with real rigidity. However, with a STELLA, we are looking at a possible future with washable and comfortable interactive fashion and interior design. 

A common PCB (Left) is found in most all electronic devices today. The Knight dress with the stretchable PCB (on the right) was developed in cooperation with scientists from Fraunhofer IZM and TU Berlin as part of the European research project STELLA (STretchable ELectronics for Large Area Applications).

Yet another luxury phone is coming to market. The Italian fashion house Versace plans to introduce its first in a line of mobile phones to the public in May. The phone will cost around $5,000 and according to their press release, will be crafted to the client’s expectations with the highest quality of materials such as leather. (ZDNet) Designed in collaboration with with ModeLabs, who creates tailor-made handsets for brands like Tag Haur and Dior, Versace follows in the heels of luxury branded mobile phones from Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Armani.

Luxury phones, such as these, are in high demand in Asia, Russia, and the Middle East, but honestly this launch just feels like hype. I guess if you have billions of dollars it makes sense to have a phone that represents your status and lifestyle, but I think telecom companies and manufacturers can do better than flashing up the exterior with leather and ice.

Of all the luxury phones on the market so far, Prada and LG win the golden ticket.

With the advancement of a new micro solar cell, sequined dresses of the future may not just indicate a fashionista on the loose, but instead, an environmentally conscious go-getter with a fully charged cell phone.

The scientists at Sandia National Laboratories, makers of all things sci-fi, have created tiny snow-flake looking solar cells (pictured below) for possible applications in textiles and clothing. These cells are being designed to be less expensive and have greater electronic efficiencies than the current cells on the market. The micro cells require cutting edge manufacturing techniques to ensure quality. Even so, their miniscule size makes it so that there is a minimal loss of power production if one were to be damaged. Compare this to today’s large rectangular solar panels, where if one goes down, the whole unit has a huge loss in power production. Instead with these new cells if one went down it would just be a small percentage of the overall grid.

This is defiantly a technology to watch. I see a future of sparkling rooftops, glittering light poles, and fashionable sequined shrugs. What do you see? What would you make with solar powered sequins? Leave a comment and let us know.

Source: Inhabitat

Dress image from stellarmagazine

What goes with an outfit made out of white leather straps? Laser shooting shoulder pads, of course!

If you missed Rihanna's performance of "Wait Your Turn" at the 2009 AMA's you can see the video on YouTube.

Photo via: SingersRoom

It has finally happened, the Twitter invasion has spread to our bodies, specifically, it has circulated to our legs with Gabby and Tal's Twitter stockings. Each pair has the cute Twitter bird logo and the words "Follow Me" printed down the leg. Donning this legwear is sure to invite strangers to actually follow you. If this is something that doesn't bother you, and as long as they are not creeps, seize the moment to turnaround and give them your Twitter handle. You'll have hundreds of new followers in no time!

Each stocking is made by hand and are sold at their Etsy shop for $18. They sell out quick,  get your order in now for the Holidays. 

Via: styleguru