Fashionable Technology Research Consortium

Geekware

Nicole Harper launched Acorn Studios (now Geekware) in 2004 after a 5-year stint as a professional Waste Management Engineer to transform obsolete electronic waste into fun and geeky gifts. Geekware now launched the new MAC-ware range on popular demand.

Merrell's Gatherer Jacket

The Gatherer jacket by Merrell is not high-tech but the concept of using materials that are available at any time as insulation goes along with my idea of modularity and sustainability.

The product description by Merrell: We all know how quickly the weather can change from comfortable, to cold and back. Our Gatherer jacket lets the wearer adjust their own climate to the conditions using adaptive insulation pockets through the body and sleeve. These pockets can be filled with insolating material of any kind; from newspaper and leaves to packing peanuts or stuffing from an old pillow. The only limit to your ability to stay warm is your imagination.

Via Core77

Bulletproof Fashion

I was just recently invited to Bogota and I remembered the Bullet-resistant blouson prototype that was shown at Safe: Design takes on risk exhibition at MOMA in 2005-06. Get the exhibition catalog Safe: Design Takes On Risk.

To learn all about the commercially available bulletproof fashion Refinery29's Gabriel Bell took a closer look.

Via Refinery29 & Cool Hunting

Dance-Powered Cell Phone Charger by Orange

Just mentioning that the aesthetic is not fit for my favorite club. But then again, this is just a prototype.

From the description on FutureMusic.com: Orange has premiered a working prototype of a cell phone charger that is powered by boogie. We kid you not! The Orange Dance Charge is a phone charger that you wear on your arm and generates electricity via kinetic movement. Inside the armband is a system of weights and magnets connected to a storage battery. After a full on groove session at your favorite club, simply attach the battery to your mobile for a power up.

Orange will be outfitting a number of dancers at this year’s Glastonbury Festival (probably the best known music festival in England) to build hype for the device, which is said to go on sale in the Fall. Orange better make the Dance Charger mudproof. Orange seems big at Glastonbury. It revealed a recharge Pod tent to keep mobile juices.

Via FutureMusic.com

Colette in Paris

Colette - style design art food - has been around for years. Despite its 'age' (wink) it is still a great place to find some fresh 'stuff'. Definitely check out the exhibitions!

Subotron in Vienna

Subotron - Hands on Electronic Game Culture is a shop and meeting point at Museumsquartier / electronic avenue in Vienna.

Thanks to Jogi who added Fashionable Technology Research Consortium to their blog.

Cybercouture

According to the website Cybercouture boutique will be presenting the online opportunity to purchase "art as fashion" designs by international artists. To mark its launch there are three Interactive Design Studios. The ambition of Cybercouture is to add more shapes and palettes from diverse talents and to incorporate smart, electronic, intelligent fibers. It is not haute-couture it is cybercouture! The current featured artists are Pia Myrvold and Karim Rashid.