Future Fabrics and Fashion Design

Much of the current recent fashion technology discussion involves the idea of wearables: things like wristwatches and Google glass. But a lot of innovation is going on in terms of fabric technology and other approaches that will change the way we dress ourselves and will impact the way designers create everything from everyday fashion to haute couture.

From futuristic Swiss fabrics that don’t require cleaning to fabrics that give sensory or “haptic” feedback to rapid prototyping and 3-D printing being applied to fashion design, a diverse panel of experts investigates this fascinating new space.

“There’s a gap between what me and my fellow designers imagine can happen with this material in the future and what is actually happening with it for the consumer today,” admits panelist Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman. “It’s starting to happen, but we’re not there yet.”