Bio e wearable technology: il fashion prossimo venturo
Biotechnology and wearable technology are reshaping the fashion industry. Biotech startups are developing lab-grown silk and leather alternatives from pineapple leaves and mushrooms, used by designers like Stella McCartney, Giorgio Armani, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, and Vivienne Westwood. Only 3% of 1,300 US biotech firms are profitable, yet stock prices rise. Sony's First Flight platform unveiled Reon Pocket, a Bluetooth-controlled wearable cooler launching in Japan in March 2020. Toronto-based Myant pioneers textile computing with smart fabrics that monitor heart rate, blood pressure, sleep, and biochemical markers, enabling remote healthcare and patient self-monitoring. The true disruption may be emotional: how consumers relate to these 'clothes' as AI targets the human side of style.
Key facts
- Biotech startups are creating lab-grown silk and leather alternatives from pineapple leaves and mushrooms.
- Stella McCartney, Giorgio Armani, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, and Vivienne Westwood use these materials.
- Only 3% of 1,300 US biotech companies are profitable, but stock prices continue to rise.
- Sony's First Flight platform revealed Reon Pocket, a wearable cooling device controlled via Bluetooth.
- Reon Pocket will be available in Japan in March 2020.
- Myant, a Toronto company, produces smart fabrics with electronic sensors for health monitoring.
- Smart fabrics can measure activity levels, heart rate, blood pressure, sleep patterns, and biochemical markers.
- Wearable technology enables remote healthcare and shifts power from doctors to patients.
Entities
Artists
- Stella McCartney
- Giorgio Armani
- Michael Kors
- Ralph Lauren
- Vivienne Westwood
Institutions
- Sony
- First Flight
- Myant
- Artribune
Locations
- United States
- Japan
- Toronto
- Canada