Welcoming ‘techfashion’ at W-41

After assistant fashion editor Bronwyn Williams, intern Alice Palmer and I attended the trends’ presentations at Massey University yesterday (which were, incidentally, impressive), it was interesting to see this Dutch label, W-41, embracing another emerging trend: that of combining technology with fashion. At least one group of students touched on this, and seeing it in the market-place the same day was certainly interesting.
   The themes have been around for a while: for example, on the right of this page is a QR bar code, which provides information to those cellphones that have a QR reader. Others have been finding ways to incorporate microprocessors into clothes, in a fairly obvious fashion. And my friend, author Stefan Engeseth (who has just launched his book, The Fall of PR and the Rise of Advertising), wrote years ago about two cellphones that could physically link together in a jigsaw fashion to encourage people to meet.
   W-41, meanwhile, has blended its own code, readable via a free downloadable application, with a range of T-shirts. Embedded in the code is the wearer’s favourite URL, whether it be their website or their favourite YouTube clip. It seems like a good idea, namely because it does not really change the way we wear clothes or use technology. Snapping a photograph on a cellphone is a normal activity in 2009—I say it has even replaced the notepad—and those who wear W-41 codes invite it.
   In addition, the W-41 code is more attractive than the traditional bar code, which has, in popular culture, gained a negative image when shown on the body. There is an idea that the traditional bar code is dehumanizing, making a person into a good—or even a number, with Nazist shades. By creating a circular emblem for the code, W-41 is less menacing.
   It could be a great social tool, and there is huge potential for marketing. In either case, I foresee some clever applications.