Wearables walk the fashion runway with MakeFashion

The designs in this new line use wearable technology to bring style and function into the same place.

Engineers and designers have gathered around the world for the MakeFashion event that uses wearables in a way that is meant to be “augmenting the human experience” through a combination of form and function, according to the event’s co-founder.

The event took place in Calgary, Canada and brought runway fashions together with wearable technology.

This isn’t the first time MakeFashion has hit the runway. In fact, it was first launched in June 2012 by a team of three people from the Canadian city. For the fourth year, the gala has now been held at Telus Spark. Among the features that hit the runway were a range of different scientific wearables as well as stunning responsive runway clothing. Each was required to incorporate style and some form of practical application.

The wearables could cause the clothing to do everything to alter their colors to even changing shape.

The various options from the wearable technology allowed wearers to change the appearance of their clothing based on what they wanted or could even allow the clothing to respond to their mood by reading their brainwaves and offering a reflection of that mood through fashion expression.

Co-founder of the event, Shannon Hoover, explained that “You end up with a piece that looks amazing, looks beautiful, but has the technology that you would expect to see in wearable technology.” He also pointed out that the designs featured in this event had a focus on enhancing the “human experience” while making it possible for people to interact with their fashions and with each other with greater meaning.

Hoover pointed out that “Your FitBit, it tracks your motion and your activity, but it doesn’t do a lot about telling human stories.” The hope is that the pieces that were displayed on the runway would offer a greater ability for expression by the individual wearing the various pieces. The goal is to have the clothes tell the story of the person wearing them through wearables that are able to detect it.