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Wearable Technology
APPAREL INDUSTRY TRENDS
Where Innovation meets the future of FashionAidenn Mullen / FASH 503 SCAD Spring 14’ / Prof. D Greene
Today the wearable tech market is $3-5 Billion and in the next few years the market is expected to hit $30-50 Billion in growth.
Wearable technology is exploring every avenue of usability from accessories, eyewear, footwear and jewelry.
In 2014, Apple and Google are best positioned to enter the fashion and
accessory markets in a disruptive manner.
Aidenn Mullen / FASH 503 SCAD Spring 14’ / Prof. D Greene
Google, Sony and Apple current technology
For Fashion Merchants and Designers there is an opportunity to partner or privately develop wearable technology by joining a new market.
“Smartphones are tone of the key driving forces behind the expected growth in wearable tech, acting as a hub that keeps all of our devices connected.” - Credit Suisse, Tech market outlook.
Angela Ahrendts, former CEO of Burberry
Paul Deneve, the former chief executive of Yves Saint Laurent
In 2013, Apple hired executives from Burberry and Yves Saint Laurent to work on wearable tech projects.
What Apparel Industry experts need to know:
- 2013/14 products are not meeting user needs, “the market is ripe with potential” - Business Insider
- Consumers are eager to try a wearable device or garment. However, most consumers segments have a low adoption rate due to current product designs not truly meeting the needs of their lifestyle. Areas eager
for success include Health and Fitness, Technology and Luxury Fashion markets.
- The wearble tech market is where our next communication devices will originate. An example would be a desktop computer shifting to our hands in the form of a smartphone. The top user frustration to solve for is
“glanceability”, a process in which the user may interact with a device in a manner that is seemingly undetected.
Aidenn Mullen / FASH 503 SCAD Spring 14’ / Prof. D Greene
In order for Merchandisers to enter the wearable technology market one must conduct primary research
into the specific needs of their targeted user.
The Market is flooded with designs not ideally suited for user’s needs.
Aidenn Mullen / FASH 503 SCAD Spring 14’ / Prof. D Greene
Most “inventions” thus far have been viewed as failures.
To understand need, one may look to the original hand help device which helped us to develop a sense of time and place, we
are now looking for a device to assist in the need to know everything that is going on, at any minute.
Aidenn Mullen / FASH 503 SCAD Spring 14’ / Prof. D Greene
The pocket watch offered users of the early 20th century in ultimate in portability.
The frontier of wearable technology will take form in Apparel, Footwear and Accessories. Consumers will be driven to experiment with options and the market will skyrocket just as the smartphone has. Large Apparel corporation positioned for innovation will rise to the
occasion, serving user needs in ways never imagined before.
Aidenn Mullen / FASH 503 SCAD Spring 14’ / Prof. D Greene
Works Cited:
Aidenn Mullen / FASH 503 SCAD Spring 14’ / Prof. D Greene
http://inhabitat.com/hot-hollywood-trend-7-celebrities-who-love-wearable-tech/
http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=wearable%20technology&rs=ac&len=8
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/ist/?next=/innovation/pocket-watch-was-worlds-first-wearable-tech-game-changer-180951435/
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/16/technology/apple-hires-burberry-ceo-angela-ahrendts.html?_r=0
http://mashable.com/category/wearable-tech/