Technology fashion carnival has passed, smart clothing in the future only accounts for 3% of the market

In a technology center in California, there were suddenly a lot of non-technical people dressed in clothing. Some people complained about confidentiality agreements, some secretly looked at each other from time to time, and some talked about the rumors about industry subversion. And the cause of all this is an announcement that is enough to change the industry.

Sounds familiar, isn't it?

However, such a scene did not appear in Apple's recent press conference in Cupertino, but on September 9, 2014, when Apple launched Apple Watch in a publicity campaign. For those who still remember the day, the Apple conference this week gave a weird feeling of deja vu.

This also caused us some doubts: What does wearables have to do with fashion? After five years have passed, does this relationship still exist? Has technology already found new targets for its fashion plot?

For a moment, there is indeed a strong attraction. It's just that today, fashion trends are changing so fast that we can easily forget, but let's take a moment to remember this moment. Because after this incident, we are all likely to get a lesson.

Mimma Viglezio, editor of the digital platform ShowStudio, said: "Fashion has an endless desire for novelty and the future, and because Apple and Silicon Valley have promised this, we can only accept it."

Chaotic technology fashion carnival

Before the launch of this watch, Apple, which has always adhered to the principle of luxury design, continues to entice the relevant executives to work for Apple.

Most notable are Paul Deneve, CEO of Yves Saint Laurent, Patrick Pruniaux from Tag Heuer, and Angela Ahrendts, CEO of Burberry (Angela is considered to be the driving force behind the transformation of Burberry by technology, she is responsible for operating entities and after coming to Apple Electronic retail business).

Alexandra Shulman, editor-in-chief of the British version of Vogue, and Lauren Indvik, editor-in-chief of Fashionista, flew to Cupertino during the New York Fashion Week, sitting in the front row and participating in the Apple conference. Their appearance seems to imply that this “fashion” exhibition in California is the most important.

During the Paris Fashion Week, Apple held a press conference at the super boutique Colette and invited Karl Lagerfeld. After the conference, the company hosted a banquet in Azzedine Ala?a's restaurant, allowing designers such as Olivier Rousteing and models such as Cara Delevingne to showcase Apple's accessories.

For the first time in the magazine, Apple Watch appeared on the cover of the Chinese version of Vogue, and Apple also published a 12-page advertisement on the US version of Vogue. A year after the debut, during the fashion week, Apple announced a partnership with Hermès. In May of the same year, the company sponsored Met Gala's Manus x Machina fashion show, which was designed to compliment fashion and technology.

Apple CEO Tim Cook participated in the fashion show, and Apple Chief Design Officer Jony Ive co-chaired the show with Condé Nast Art Director and Vogue Editor Anna Wintour. No matter what symbol you point to, the photo shows everything.

In any case, Apple is only part of it.

Thanks to Diesel Black Gold, Samsung's Gear S also made its debut in Fashion Week in September 2014. Intel teamed up with Openment Ceremony's Humberto Leon and Carol Lim to create the MICA smart bracelet. Will.i.am launched the "puls" bracelet, inspired in part by Chanel's iconic Maltese cross wrist.

Soon after, Ralph Lauren introduced a connected Ricky bag with lights and a charging port. “For our luxury industry, this is a game changer,” said David Lauren, executive vice president of advertising, marketing and corporate communications at the company.

Tag Heuer, Intel and Google teamed up to create their own Carrera connected watch. Louis Vuitton launched a networked Tambour Horizon and described it as the future Louis Vuitton Internet. It's like a carnival of smart accessories.

In 2012, when the model walked on the runway of the Diane von Furstenberg show with Google Glass, almost everyone was a little cringe, and this moment was simply seen as an early sign of a bright future. But this is the future!

The fashion trend in California will be in the conservative fashion world, and the charm of fashion will make consumers eager for products. They are not competing with each other, but are mutually beneficial.

Trouble is unexpected

But later, Deneve, Pruniaux and Ahrendts left Apple. An Intel spokesperson said that the company "will withdraw from the field of wearable devices for end products in 2017" and turned to data analysis for retailers and brands.

A spokesperson for Will.i.am said he is refocusing on "artificial intelligence and voice-activated computing for B2B and B2C hardware." Ralph Lauren no longer sells networking packages.

All talk about wearables and fashion has become very, very quiet.

Scott Galloway, a professor of marketing at New York University's Stern School of Business and founder of the digital think tank L2, said: "The overlap between the two areas is not as big as people think. Technology is essentially creating utility and affecting billions of people. It is to create a moment, a trend, a romance, and spread it to a few influential people."

Of course, this does not mean that the wearable device itself is out of date.

According to research group International Data Corporation, the smartwatch industry accounts for 44% of the "wearable device" market, and overall, the industry has performed well. IDC predicts that smart watches will be one of the main drivers for this year's market growth of 15.3%. According to a new report from NPD, sales of smart watches in the United States increased by 54% in 2018.

In the January 2019 first quarter earnings conference call, Cook said that its wearable device category has increased by 50% (mainly watches and AirPod). A Hermès spokesperson said the Apple Watch is one of its most popular models. Louis Vuitton's smart watches account for half of its watch business.

However, although there have been rumors that other designers have joined the team a long time ago, and third parties like Coach and Kate Spade have made wristbands for Apple Watch, these days are all about how smart watches become health and fitness. The platform – this is why fitness brands (especially Nike) are still enthusiastic.

This does not mean that fashion itself is not interested in technology. Executives are very excited when I talk about augmented reality as a shopping tool. Technology is very promising in terms of materials science and production, especially when the industry is increasingly focusing on sustainability.

Amanda Parkes, chief innovation officer at Future Tech Lab, said: "The current situation is that it has spread to the back end of nanotechnology and fabric production. But it takes time to develop, just like biotechnology."

At the same time, some brands are playing the ball. Jimmy Choo recently released a heated lace-up urban hiking boot. It is heated by the battery of the heel and then connected to the phone application so you can control and monitor the temperature. Ralph Lauren designed the heated Polo 11 and Olympic jackets (which are also controlled by the application).

Vuitton has introduced wireless headsets made with Master & Dynamic technology and is testing a networked luggage. Since the fall of 2017, Levi's has been selling its Commuter x Jacquard jackets through Google Connect.

But in fact, the launch of all these new products can only wait for cooling after a wave of enthusiasm.

Misplaced direction

Jimmy Choo's creative director Sandra Choi said: "The networking boots are very interesting and popular." However, at the recent Milan Fashion Week, it did not appear in the company's show because it is not considered to be Jimmy Choo. The core of identity does not even represent the direction of the future.

Levi's global product innovation director Paul Dillinger also expressed the same meaning, pointing out that the networked jacket is classified as Levi's Commuter Collection, a fairly niche business area. When the next season is released, the company will choose to offer the same product and launch a new app instead of offering a new style or new product.

Dillinger said: "We focus more on the creativity of fashion design than on the digital side, not on the real side."

Galloway made a simple summary of these phenomena: "Only one wearable device is a true fashion statement, and that is your mobile phone." This may be the source of the problem.

All of this shows that we have gone beyond the fashion technology product design agreement. We are now like Platonic acquaintances, and every once in a while, we are hyping again.

So what have we learned from the past five years?

Perhaps the true future of fashion and technology has nothing to do with the screen.

Perhaps the concept of "heroic products" is so closely linked to the technological world that it is not really effective in industries that already have heroic products. In fact, Dillinger said he initially had doubts about Jacquard's ideas. “I only value actual fashion items,” he said.

It is possible that this is what we want clothes or accessories to reach, as long as we feel good and can be a symbol of self-expression tools and group members.

This is what the mobile phone has experienced. Although no one will foresee its arrival, AirPod and Vuitton headphones are becoming a status symbol.

According to IDC, by 2023, "ear-wearing devices" will become the second largest category of wearable devices, accounting for 31% of the market. In contrast, it predicts that smart clothing accounts for only about 3%.