We all know celebrities and budding stars like it somewhat extravagant. It is, therefore, no surprise that Wearable Technologies come in the form of stage outfits fitted with special effects and that these are all the rage with performing artists.
Special costumes for theater and the concert stage, film or sports with show flair – like, for instance, ice skating – are interesting niche markets for Wearable Technologies.
Costumes with integrated LEDs, in particular, show great potential these days. These kinds of costumes have been worn by 2010 Eurovision Song Contest performer Safura and such celebrity recording artists Rihanna and Katy Perry, to name but a few.
Such companies as CuteCircuit, Lucentury, enlighted designs and novanex create LED-fitted costumes for those who want them. Tops in the field of illuminated outfits right now is decidedly Moritz Waldemeyer, who has designed stagewear for the likes of U2, Take That, Mika, Will.I.Am and Leona Lewis.
In addition to clothing that lights up, the Wearable Technologies industry now offers outfits that move. Hussein Chalayan is a pioneer in this special effects area. In his 2007 collection One Hundred Eleven, the Turkish designer unveiled dresses that transformed themselves into longer, shorter, or even completely different dresses. Chalayan has also experimented with clothing that changes color.
Technology used to change the color of outfits has been around for more than 40 years. Reminiscent of the 1970s “mood ring”, this clothing changes color via warmth or the sun. It is, however, currently less popular than the new technologies, which allow the user to push a button and change the color and pattern of what he/she is wearing. Though electrochromic materials now offer a multitude of possibilities in this category, we have yet to find a celebrity who makes use of it.
One of the first and longtime names in the use and support of Wearable Technologies is, of course, Lady Gaga. Under the name Grey Label and in cooperation with Polaroid, the eccentric pop star designed a variety of products, including the camera eyeglasses GL20, due to hit the market this year. Users can instantly capture or upload photos with the built-in camera and then display the images on the glasses’ LCD screens for others to see.
We are excited to see what’s in store for the future in Wearable Technologies for the entertainment industrty.
