Open Design Practices, Materiality and DIY Wearables @ 3lectromode
Symposium:
Session Title:
- Open Culture + Wearables
Presentation Title:
- Open Design Practices, Materiality and DIY Wearables @ 3lectromode
Presenter(s):
Venue(s):
Abstract:
Panel: Open Culture + Wearables
This paper and presentation will investigate the notion of open design within the practice of DIY wearables and the online/customization initiatives of 3lectromode and other design collectives in the field of fashion and technology. By looking at how technologies are facilitating access, networks and small production lines I aim to reveal the changing creative and production practices of fashion and technology from a pure industrialized vs. craft-based one, to a sophisticated, high-tech and networked 21st century cottage industry.
Furthermore, an emphasis on the open design principles applied to textile material practices that can be adopted to sustain and enhance this field will be addressed. 3lectromode holds the vision of innovating in the field of wearables by combining technology with customizable prêt-â-porter fashion. We aim to inspire a future where wearables are democratized, aestheticized, and performative. We are a small design studio interested in developing accessible wearables, which combine DIY technology with current fashion research. We are fascinated with the potential for technology to create new modalities of interaction between the body and its environment, and are interested in the performative potential of technology. Key to our design ethos is a to create a library of open sourced tools which can be easily accessed, interpreted and used by anyone. We develop wearables, which we hope will be meaningful to the wearers by enriching everyday experiences with an awareness of both ourselves and the world around us. We see our work as creating a further connection between humans and the world at large of machines, information patterns, environmental data, and organic material.
