SPEAKER_03 0:12

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Menswear Style Podcast with me, your host, Pete Brooker. On this week's episode, we will be talking about wearable technology. What are the common misconceptions? What happened to the Google Glasses, the benefits of the Apple Watch, and why are we still waiting for a decent hoverboard? In case you're thinking I'm going to somehow tenuously link to some science fiction comedy drama from the 80s starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, then you'll be right.

SPEAKER_04 0:40

We're turning you back to the future. Back to the future! Back to the future. Back to the future, back to the future, back to the future, back to the future, back to the future! Back to the future, back to the future, back to the future, back to the future, back to the future, back to the future, back to the future!

SPEAKER_03 0:59

We're gonna be talking to the head of fashion innovation agency at London College of Fashion, Matthew Drinkwater. Drake, let's call me a fashion tech, trailblazer. I love the word trailblazer. It just instantly means you're just kicking down doors and and and people behind the doors as well.

SPEAKER_02 1:15

That is almost exactly what happened and happens on a regular basis.

SPEAKER_03 1:20

And only one noise can sum up my reaction to that news. We're also going to be chatting to Tara Wynn Stanley, co-founder of tech brand Emil and Aris.

SPEAKER_01 1:29

The technology that we found and we are now building within the coat actually uses far infrared heat, which is actually healthy heat, which is absorbed by your body to make you warm. So actually, the heat you don't need to have it all over the coat, we just have it in strategic places so that the heat is on your muscles.

SPEAKER_03 1:58

Well, maybe.com, Manu Tennapau.

SPEAKER_00 2:05

You know, we have hundreds of wearable technology um uh bracelets out there um that you know if you would wear ten of them, ten of them would give you like uh different uh metrics um measured on your own body. So um accuracy is really something that is very important and it's going to become more and more important.

SPEAKER_03 2:26

That interview coming up shortly. But first, if you're not there already, head over to the website at www.menswearstyle.co.uk. There you'll find all the blogs, features, and competitions, such as a 200 pound voucher to spend at Gymflex. Subscribe to us in iTunes and leave us a comment or suggestion on future topics. We'd love to hear from you. And download the Menswear Style app to stay notified when the features go live. Follow us on social at menswear style. Okay, I think that's it. Okay, so without any further ado, are you ready for this one?

SPEAKER_04 2:55

You're gonna see some serious shit.

SPEAKER_03 2:58

Here is the interview with Matthew Drinkwater, head of fashion innovation agency at London College of Fashion. On the podcast now, we have Matthew Drinkwater, head of Innovation Agency of the London College of Fashion, and one of the most hundred influential in the world of wearable technology. How are you doing today, Matthew?

SPEAKER_02 3:18

I'm really well, thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_03 3:20

Oh, thank you for coming on. So, Matthew, um, could you just give us a little spiel about yourself, please? Brag a little if you will, and also about the innovation agency.

SPEAKER_02 3:29

Oh, I love to brag, so I'm happy to do that. Um so I head up the Innovation Agency at London College of Fashion, and we are a small unit which is using technology to help designers and brands change the way that they make their collections. So we do a lot of work with smart materials, um, smart processes, things like 3D modeling and 3D printing, change the way that they show their collections. So we do a ton of work at London Fashion, where we're particularly interested in the use of augmented and virtual realities, and ultimately how they use the technology to sell their collections as well.

SPEAKER_03 4:10

Okay, so um, is it a case of if someone's got an idea, they might come to you, or if I'm a brand looking for other people with ideas, they'll come to you as well.

SPEAKER_02 4:19

Yeah, it's a it's it's kind of a mix. I mean, we work a lot with the fashion industry, um, but predominantly with the technology industries and looking at how we can apply emerging technologies to different elements of the traditional designer business model. Um, so quite typically we'll find a big technology company to say, hey, we have this piece of technology, what could we do with it within the fashion industry? And at that point begin to look at where we could frame a potential project, how it could be applied, and where and who would be a good fit for that kind of technology.

SPEAKER_03 4:58

Right. And this might sound like a bit of a stupid question, but is wearable technology um the biggest it's been at the moment? Is it just it feels like it's been a long time coming, but now it's it seems ubiquitous. It's it's everywhere, it's in everything.

SPEAKER_02 5:14

Um I mean I I'd say yes. I would think if you were going back 18 months or so, you would probably have read a great deal more hype around wearable technology than you're seeing right now. I think it's going through that sort of adoption phase where people are beginning to um experiment with wearable technology. Certainly it's a lot more available than it was two years ago. But I think also you're seeing some of the problems that um come along with that early adoption of technology, and a lot of the early sort of risk-based um pieces of wearable technology have seen quite substantial drop-off within the first year of use. I think there's a scary statistic that something like 70% of all devices um are discarded within a year. Um so we're still trying to find out best use cases of technology uh within fashion and and where and whether it even needs a a a level of functionality.

SPEAKER_03 6:19

Um what are the common misconceptions when it comes to wearable technology? What do people mainly talk to you about the most and you go, no, that's a complete myth, and you debunk it instantly?

SPEAKER_02 6:29

I mean, I think um probably the thing that springs to people's minds when you talk about wearable technology is that image of Google Glass. And I think it people tend to put up a bit of a wall when they hear wearable technology. And I think what we've been working towards is trying to look at how we integrate technology within fashion in a seamless way and almost try and hide the technology so it becomes invisible and and seamless in whatever interaction we use it in. But I think it initially people do tend to have that image of Google Glass and a real pushback. And I think there is a an image of a couple of things which people are resistant to, the way that it looks and this kind of geeky image that it might have around it, and then also how it could be used. I think people are struggling with those two things, or at least were. Um, and I think you've seen much more interesting iterations of technology as we've come through the last couple of years.

SPEAKER_03 7:30

And what were your impressions when the Google Glass came out? I mean, I just thought, wow, this is it, this is the future. I'm finally in Blade Runner, fantastic, we're all here.

SPEAKER_02 7:38

Um, definitely an earlier adopter. That's um I think that mindset was few and far between. I I think you know, probably one of the interesting things about Google Glass is that they if they'd released that as a prototype, if that had dropped as just an experiment, I think you'd have seen much more willingness to accept it. Um but because it was pushed out as something that consumers were expected to buy, um, I think at and at the price point, what was it, £1,500, something like that, um, there was a great deal of resistance, and also you just didn't have the framework and the ecosystem to support it. And I think particularly in the last year, there's been this huge rush towards augmented reality. Um, I mean, if you saw the hordes of people that were chasing after Pokemon through Central Park, yes, um, and the adoption of that, people are a lot more aware of how that technology could be used.

SPEAKER_03 8:44

Okay, and like the I guess the Oculus Rift as well that came out, people are more wanting to be within their own avatar than they are in real life, I guess. Or certainly.

SPEAKER_02 8:53

Yeah, I mean there've been huge advances advances in virtual reality. I mean, you know, this year has a been a really huge year for VR. The release of PlayStation VR has kind of dropped that into a potential sort of 40 million homes. Um, and I think the acceptance of virtual reality has grown enormously in the past 12 months, and when you've got an ecosystem of gaming to support it, that PlayStation clearly do, then it it makes things a whole lot more interesting. And if you've used it, it's just a whole lot of fun.

SPEAKER_03 9:29

Yeah. Um coming back to what we can perhaps predict or what you might see on the horizon for wearable technology, um where do you reckon it's going, or what do you think is going to come out that's gonna be the next big thing?

SPEAKER_02 9:43

So, I mean, I I think what remains important for us is to try and shift that focus away from devices and functionality. I mean, almost everything you see at the moment is risk-based, or you might see some headphones coming through in the next six months or so. But um I guess being part of London College of Fashion, we're really interested in where that technology can be embedded into garments and creating truly smart, connected clothing. And you know what that means for the industry could be numerous things. I think from a retail perspective, it becomes very interesting to learn more about consumers. If you're able to begin to um generate the amount of data that you would have online about consumers and put that into a real bricks and mortar environment. So, where do consumers go? How many times do they um wear a particular product? Where do they wear a particular product? What do they wear it with? When do they stop wearing it? Um these are all things which retailers are going to have the opportunity to learn. And I think from a retail perspective, that allows for kind of all sorts of interesting interactions. And then from a customer point of view, I think what we will see, and perhaps on the future gazing a little bit more, is the ability to see a total shift in the way that we consume fashion. We've been looking at projects uh involving electroactive polymers, which in simple terms allows you to change the colour of a material just by running a current current through it. So you can imagine buying a sweatshirt and simply downloading a new colour to it. And as we as that technology improves, perhaps a new pattern to it. So the idea that you would need to go and buy far life sweatshirts is something that will disappear. You'll simply be able to download it, and then maybe you and I are having a conversation. And I kind of like what you're wearing. Perhaps we could share that between us.

SPEAKER_03 11:52

Also, it can solve this other situation where if you and I met on a date and we were both wearing the same sweatshirt, we're like, oh my god, dude, you should have phoned me up. What would you and then but with a click of a button, problem solved.

SPEAKER_02 12:04

Absolutely. You know, that kind of idea of a smart wardrobe, of being able to see what's in your wardrobe and perhaps connect it to your calendar, and it might know that we're going out, it might know what you're wearing because you've already put it on, and actually, you know, predict those future fashion crimes and avoid that kind of thing happening. Um, so I think there are all sorts of implications for the industry, but that that kind of disruption that you saw through the music industry, I think, is almost inevitable for the fashion industry.

SPEAKER_03 12:36

Yeah. The thing is, Matthew, this sounds fantastic, and it almost likes I want to go out and get this tomorrow. Yeah, I've I've seen Back to the Future too. I saw the electronic laced-up Nikes and the puffer jacket that that blue dry and the hoverboard. I'm thinking, well, the hoverboard will be in the shops in a couple of years. And we're still 20 years later, waiting for a decent enough hoverboard.

SPEAKER_02 12:57

Um yeah, well, yeah, I mean your self self-lacing shoes drop this year. So that Nike have already done that. Um so that's a thing. Um and you know, in terms of where we are, you're probably looking another five to ten years before that. But all of that research is happening. So, you know, I think in simple terms, we've been looking at some other projects just embedding sensors into clothing, which might enable that kind of smart wardrobe activity. So the idea that you could buy a piece of clothing, register it, and see what's in your wardrobe, and could that then connect to your calendar? All of those things will start to happen in the next couple of years. Um, so those I think what for us becomes a really interesting question is what are clothes as a service? Uh and are clothes as a service, and you know, once you can connect them to the internet, all the services that you can run off them are you know really limited by the imagination of any app developer that wants to begin to think about that. So I think there are all sorts of really exciting things coming, and and actually how you connect clothes to the internet. There are so many various solutions from NFC to RFID to other sensor technology to QR codes, and it really it doesn't matter how you connect them to the internet or how you register them to a platform, once they're there, you can begin to write services for them. And so all of those fun things that you could do are gonna happen really soon.

SPEAKER_03 14:28

Well, I can't wait. Uh Matthew, I'd I'd probably talk to you for hours about what's going to be coming around the corner and maybe even another hour on Back to the Future. Um Yeah, absolutely. What is the um just before we go, the the best thing that you've got going on at the moment in your wardrobe, or the most exciting thing that you you like to show off?

SPEAKER_02 14:48

Uh in terms of technology, um I think you know I I'm I'm still an avid user of my Apple Watch, even though people shout at me for saying that. Um it's something which I still love a lot. But I think for us, one of the most exciting things that we've been using is Microsoft's HoloLens, um, which is an augmented reality headset, which isn't something I wear down the high street, um, but is something that we think will have a major implication for the industry and all of the sort of areas of creation and showcasing and retailing that that are going to have an impact. And you will be doing a few more projects in Fashion Week in February around that technology. So I think from a technology perspective, augmented reality and Microsoft HoloLens is is where it's at for me at the moment.

SPEAKER_03 15:39

Awesome. And uh where can people find you, Matt? So if they want to get in touch with you, like I had to hunt you out. I'm easy to find.

SPEAKER_02 15:46

So Google me, I'm around. So no, I'm based at London College of Fashion. Um and uh we actually have our own uh separate website which is fialondon.com.

SPEAKER_03 15:58

And uh are you speaking anytime soon? I think you've just got back from a summit in in Lisbon, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 16:02

Yeah, I was just speaking at Web Summit in Lisbon. I'm in Bilbao next week, and then I have a big conference in London called Fuse London. So if anyone's in London on uh December the second, come see me there.

SPEAKER_03 16:14

Definitely check that out, and also um head over to your your website and also your Twitter account, you're quite active on that.

SPEAKER_02 16:21

Oh, I love yeah, drink that that's yeah, I need more followers, that's a desperate place.

SPEAKER_03 16:26

I had a look at um the etymology of your name, drink water, and it literally just means to drink water, so that was a bit of an anticlimax, I'm afraid, for me.

SPEAKER_02 16:34

I'm sorry to disappoint.

SPEAKER_03 16:38

Well, thanks Matt, thanks for taking the time out. Pleasure, thanks, Peter. Take care of you. Cheers, bye bye. Bye-bye.

SPEAKER_06 16:48

I've never seen purple underwear before, Calvin. Calvin, why why do you keep calling me Calvin? That is your name, isn't it? Calvin Klein? It's written all over your underwear. I guess they call you Calvin. No, actually, people call me Marty. Pleased to meet you, Calvin.

SPEAKER_03 17:19

It's good stuff. Okay, moving on swiftly to our second interview of the day. This is Tara Wynne Stanley, co-founder of tech brand Emil and Arris. On the podcast now, we have Tara Wynne Stanley, co-founder of Emil and Aris, a new British luxury brand incorporating technology into fashion. How are you doing today, Tara?

SPEAKER_01 17:38

I'm very well, thank you, Peter. How are you?

SPEAKER_03 17:40

I'm very well, thank you for joining us. Tara, uh, if you could just start by giving us a little bit of background into Emil and Aris, please.

SPEAKER_01 17:48

Sure. So my the founder, Rana Nikal Solset, she came up with the idea actually um about a year ago um of wanting to put heat into coats. Um the main reason was we have both her and I, you know, we we love our clothes, we love our um fine fabrics and our cuts, and we always feel the cold. So she we came she came up with the idea and then decided that um we would work with we wanted to create coats which were not just would give you the heating, but looked beautiful and were functional as well. So we called it the smart coat.

SPEAKER_03 18:24

There's two coats, isn't there? There's there's one that's a slightly heavier uh wool and one that's a slightly lighter cotton. Is that right?

SPEAKER_01 18:31

That's right. The smart coat is actually a collection, which is a bit confusing. So it was a collection of coats for men and for women. For men, we we started with a number of different styles and we've narrowed it down for two stars for men just for launch, two stars for women. So for men, we've got a classic overcoat which is made out of cashmere and wool, and we've also got a a Mac which has got a detachable light um gelee, which um is where the heat comes. So you can wear the Mac with or without the heated, the heated gelee.

SPEAKER_03 19:01

So can you tell us a little bit about the smart coat and how the technology works within it?

SPEAKER_01 19:06

Yes, so it's really important to us that the technology was really lightweight and thin, so that when you're wearing the coat with or without the heat, because if you don't want to turn on the heat, you don't need to carry the battery. We wanted to make sure that this coat was something that you really wanted to wear. So we set out looking for technology that would work within within these fabrics and these and these elegant cuts. And the the technology that we found, and we are now building within the coat, actually uses far infrared heat, which is actually healthy heat, which is absorbed by your body to make you warm. So, actually, the heat you don't need to have it all over the coat, we just have it in strategic places so that the heat is on your muscles. And the the system itself is a wireless system, so it doesn't um have like you know, conventional heating uses wires which eventually burn out and have got the risk of short circuiting or overheating. This doesn't have wires apart from the short cable which connects to the battery, it uses a polymer which and and a and metal braids which which through the when the power is put put into the into the the um braid is conductive and heats the polymer so that the overall feeling is warm, not hot, just nicely, nicely warm. And I'd say that that heat is then absorbed by your body to make you feel warm all over.

SPEAKER_03 20:30

Okay, cool. So Tarant, um just gonna backpedal a little bit. Tell us a little bit about your background then, how you got yourself into this.

SPEAKER_01 20:38

So my my background is actually magazines. So I've worked in um a number of women's magazines and lifestyle and design magazines, most recently wallpaper magazine, and we've always worked on the business development and advertising and promotion side. So we've got a real interest in business, but also business working directly with marketing directors of luxury brands. So Rana um has a similar similar background, and together we felt that we know we know luxury, we know, we know fashion, and we know what we want, and that's why we decided we would uh use all our contacts to to launch Emil and Aris.

SPEAKER_03 21:19

Okay. Uh and how hard was it to incorporate the technology into this? I mean, I guess you guys wanted to look cool and have some really good styling and some good coats, but then along comes the technology. So, how hard was it to actually incorporate that whilst keeping the designs elegant?

SPEAKER_01 21:34

Well, that's a very good question because that that was that's essential to what we wanted to do. So remember, the the what we want is everybody to want to wear this coat. You know, forget about the heating, it's a coat that looks beautiful and has got beautiful fabric, beautiful cut, and you really, really want to wear it. So the technology had to be seamlessly integrated into the into that design without adding any weights or bulk. So it wasn't. Big search to find the right technology, and then once we found the right technology, we've worked really closely with the engineers and the tailors to be able to create uh the heating in strategic places within each size of coats. Remembering we make coats for women a smaller size six and men up to size 48. So the heating system is different in each size that we that we are making.

SPEAKER_03 22:21

And what was the biggest obstacle like in terms of getting the technology in there? What were the biggest challenges and the headaches?

SPEAKER_01 22:27

Oh, there are quite well, there are there are quite a few. Um, the biggest one, I suppose, was uh setting the standard that we've set is that we wanted everything made under one roof within Britain. We are control freaks, you could say, and perfectionists. So we decided that what was more important is that we make these these coats with tailors that we have absolute, you know, 100% respect for of their of their workmanship, and we have with the engineers trained them to be able to incorporate the the technology. So it's taken about six months for us to get it absolutely right, and with you know lots of hard work, perseverance, and huge amount of enthusiasm from from our wonderful tailors and factory, we've we've we've managed to achieve it. The other challenge we've had is um with the battery because we wanted to ensure that the battery lasts uh an optimum length of time, but is small, discreet, lightweight, and has got you know nice design values so that it is it is all part of the brand. So the battery has been actually our biggest technical challenge, and we we're we're almost there. Has the latest coming to market, but um pleased to say that uh in mid-December we will have coats out there in time for Christmas.

SPEAKER_03 23:48

So are we now embracing technology with fashion? Is it's it has it finally caught up with us?

SPEAKER_01 23:55

I think certainly over the last few years there's been a real explosion of wearable tech and wearable tech bordering on fashion. I think one of the um biggest challenges is that fashion by its very nature we want it to look beautiful and to represent us and our personalities, and incorporating technology into fashion quite often means a compromise of that style. And there aren't very many um sort of luxury or fashion brands that are have embraced technology and for for many good reasons, but there are a lot of entrepreneurs and small companies who are bringing some exciting technology to the market that people are happy to tinker with, and um some of those products have obviously um made a dent, such as you know, the smartwatch and the Fitbits and fitness trackers. Um but what we've not really seen yet is, and this is what Emma Naris' mission is, is to is to use technology to enhance a product already, as opposed to just adding gimmicks or gadgets to to our lives. So that's there is a fine line there, and um hopefully we're on the right side of it. But I think over the next five to ten years you'll see a lot more fashion luxury brands experimenting with with technology and how, like us, they can use technology to make their product better than it than it already is.

SPEAKER_03 25:23

That makes sense. Um I'm gonna ask you a quite crude question now. Uh I'm guessing something like this from the onset must have taken a fair bit of investment to get off the ground. Uh I'm not asking you to disclose any figures for it, but other brands that want to do this sort of thing start with crowdfunding. Yep. So uh did you want to go down that route or did you feel like we've got a little kitty here, let's throw this kitty at this?

SPEAKER_01 25:49

Well, we we've actually done both. So we started with our our own investment, and that's you know, you've you use that money to get the samples and the prototypes and the research. And then in March this year, we did a crowdfunding campaign with Kickstarter, which was brilliant on many levels. Um obviously allowed us to raise some money, which helps with with production, but it also gave us a global platform in which to test our idea and get feedback. And we whilst we were able whilst we're still in in um our development process, so we found it uh you know a great exercise, quite time consuming, and we were new to crowdfunding, so a lot to learn about the you know the dynamics of crowdfunding, but overall it's um it's been very positive because although our products are only launching next month, we've actually had a lot of awareness and publicity because we've managed to get our name Emily Harris out there um before we even had a product to present to the consumer.

SPEAKER_03 26:54

That's excellent. And how much are the coats going to go for?

SPEAKER_01 26:57

So they start at just under £1,200 for that's actually for the women's trench. For the men's coats, they're between £1,300 and £1,500. And there's also a made-to-order service where the the coats come in 100% cashmere in a range of um Laura Piano colours and in different sizes and lengths and and stuff like that, and they they will cost £3,000.

SPEAKER_03 27:24

I see. And and finally, what's next for Emil and Aris? If this is going to be the success, which we all hope it will be, is there going to be an expansion to the range?

SPEAKER_01 27:32

Well, there's lots of ways we can go. So right now we've got a capsule collection. So the next stage is more products. We definitely um have got designs um in mind that we want to bring out for 2017 uh in terms of coats, and we're also looking at other products that we can develop alongside the coat range. Um so that's all I can say for now, but definitely watch this space and we want to become the you know the go-to brand for luxury wearable tech in the future.

SPEAKER_03 28:04

Excellent. So uh it's emilandaris.com. Um we're gonna put all the details on the podcast and on the website so you can go check that out. Uh where does the name Emil and Aris come from, Tara?

SPEAKER_01 28:16

It's a personal name actually to Rana, the founder. It's um Emil it represents uh the female and Arist represents the the male. As we've been two females, we sort of put the woman uh uh in in first place. And but other than that, they're just they're just names that um mean something personally.

SPEAKER_03 28:37

Tara Wind Stanley there. Luxury coats with built-in heating. Great scott.

SPEAKER_05 28:43

Great scott! Great scott. Great scott! Great scott, great scott, great scott.

SPEAKER_03 29:11

And lastly, we're gonna finish with an interview with the editor of Fashionerd, Manu Tennapau. On the podcast now, we have founder of Fash Nerd.com, Manu Tennappel. Uh Fashion Nerd is a digital magazine that translates technology in a fashion voice. How are you doing today, Manu?

SPEAKER_00 29:29

I'm doing great, man. Thanks, thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_03 29:31

No, so uh, first off, did I get the name okay?

SPEAKER_00 29:34

Uh yeah, Manutenpo. That was great.

SPEAKER_03 29:36

Okay, great. Um, Manu, please, if you will, uh tell us a little bit about yourself and a little bit about Fash Nerd.

unknown 29:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 29:43

Um but myself first. Well, I'm um uh like 43 years old. Um started in wearable technology about like two, three years ago when we founded Fashionerd. Uh I've always been I've always been a wearable tech enthusiast. Um have a military background, so um I had to wear some wearable technology myself for um you know uh safety precaution. Um at that time, this is like 10 years ago, um I was already quite um like enthusiastic about it and it was quite uh quite cool for me to see how technology can add value. Um so yeah, and then um about two years ago we started Fashion Earth because we basically found out that um there's no such thing as technology that um is being translated in a way where people were basically uh being um made comfortable to embrace technology so actually to wear it.

SPEAKER_03 30:39

Do you write uh do you write yourself or do you have other editors do it? Uh do you contribute at all?

SPEAKER_00 30:45

Yeah, we actually have a we have a team, a team of writers and um um people who contribute to the site. Uh I write myself too. There's you know, sometimes I just stumble upon news that just you know really gets me excited to um to get it out to to our community. Um because um well basically I myself as a wearable tech enthusiast, I am quite um uh excited to read about certain stuff when it comes out because I'm like totally convinced of the role that technology can play in uh people's everyday lives. So um although everything is in like in its infancy uh today, I do think that once uh the technology being um like integrated into our everyday wear, could be our accessories, could be our clothing, that um you know the the added value is is really going to um expand even up to a point I think when uh products are uh you know will probably start selling itself. You know, if you have a friend um you know in in your circles who is wearing something and you are actually seeing that by the end of the day your friend has more time to spend simply because um some wearable device makes makes it that um it's freeing up like cognitive space. Um you know, he doesn't have to worry about his diary because uh the context, the context that the context sorry, the context that's offered uh is basically uh making it that tasks that we need to do on a daily basis are being taken care of by the verbal technology that we're wearing. Um I think that's when like the change that it's gonna make in our daily lives is gonna be really, really big.

SPEAKER_03 32:33

It's it's a case of maybe getting it into the public consciousness more, no matter what it is, whether it's a a sweater that you can change colour just by touching it or uh a pair of glasses that can tell you where your nearest tube is. It's a case of actually having it in the public domain more and more accessible, would you agree?

SPEAKER_00 32:51

Yeah, definitely. Um I think also, I mean, I myself, I have to say, I am quite impatient about all this. So, you know, I want technology to to add value today, not tomorrow. But at the same time, you know, I need to self-reflect because when you're talking about um the the you know the wearable tech space that that needs to develop these things and design these things, um, even up till today, uh these designers, they they are they're dealing with real like uh design limitations. And in the end, um the technology um w while it's shrinking, um, it might not be there yet. Right? So basically, when we're talking about the fashion aspect, uh, which is a very important factor, um, before people actually would um would wear technology, um many research has shown that the average consumer is basically saying, listen, um technology is fine, um, but actually I don't care about it. I want it to wear like my everyday wear. I want it to be a shirt like any other shirt. And while it's looking like it's any other shirt, I want it to offer me the technology and all the added value that comes with it.

SPEAKER_03 34:09

Yeah. Um and how ex and also how much of it is the price when something comes out and something's newly launched? Um like for example, I interviewed um uh uh Emilanaris, uh sorry, uh a girl called Tara, who is a co-founder of uh Emilanaris, which is a clothing company I don't know if you're familiar with that has um Yeah, yeah, we've written about them. Sure. Uh she looks like she's got a fantastic product there, um, some really new cutting edge technology that makes the coat warmer uh in certain patches. Um but I uh my primary concern is that the the coat itself costs quite a bit of money for someone that might just be looking to get an everyday coat. So um I mean are we gonna be at the point now where yes it's a fantastic product, but it's only appealing to the higher echelons of certain people that A might be into technology or can afford it in that price bracket?

SPEAKER_00 35:03

Yeah, I th I I I think that's a valid, valid question, and a lot of people have that. Um I mean, besides the fact that when we're talking style, when we're talking fashion, um, there could be a strategy of any brand who is kind of like using the price psychology shuffle by just uh making it really exclusive and and then have a high price tag on it. But besides that, um I think it is very important for wearable technology to become uh available uh with a with a good price tag to be um uh adopted by a wide audience. And uh this is a problem because right now, uh, if you would have like an average jawbone misfit or Fitbit uh tracker, uh they they they can easily take you down for like 180, if not more, uh US dollars. Um and a lot of people argue that you know that they're just not ready to pay that for uh a wearable tech bracelet, for instance. Um when you're talking about a coat, um, in the case of Emily's um looking at uh the style that they offer, um I think Emily's is a great example of me, you know, uh making it easy for for myself, if I speak personally, to actually buy that. Um because uh honestly, if I would look for a real fashionable coat um with a good brand, then um you know I can find like a dozen other coats in the same price range, but that doesn't make it um that the the the overall price of uh wearable technology is way too high today. And um, yeah, that is really something that is um uh making it, that people are not really to um to uh to adopt the the technology that's out there now.

SPEAKER_03 36:51

Yeah, I I didn't want to um make it sound like the the coat was overpriced. Um obviously it's its price and other coats will fall into that bracket with the technology or without the technology, so it's subjective, so yeah. Um so Mado, also what I was thinking when it comes to wearable technology, the people that are into technology and into the latest gadgets and gizmos, this is already for them anyway. How do we convert the people that say have the fear of working the DVD for the the remote control for the DVD and have that kind of technophobia as it's called? How do we bring them over to wearable technology?

SPEAKER_00 37:29

Yeah, I mean, good question. I think um I think the the the um the solution or answer to that is like um it it goes back to what what I mentioned before, it's the impatience. Um, you know, we we have to self-reflect, and I think at some point just realize like, okay, technology is at a certain point right now, and the question is, is it there where we can actually uh you know have certain demands? Um right now I think um the difference uh is is going to be made in in context. Once technology is able um to offer context, in the sense of um um like uh machine learning, artificial intelligence, uh once all these things are once it's easy to add these to our wearables, then um it's gonna be m like there's gonna be much more reason for people to uh to adopt to these uh to these new um new new products.

SPEAKER_03 38:27

Well I was looking on your website and I was just checking out a few other brands and the things that are on the cutting edge right now. Are there is there something that you think is gonna be round the corner that is gonna change the game?

SPEAKER_00 38:39

Well, yeah. Um if you say around the corner, um I I think that's gonna be tough. Um simply because things in the in the in the wearable tech space they don't go that fast. Um and everybody's at at the mercy of design limitations. Um but um I think a little a little further down the line, um I think our the smart garments is really what's what's gonna make the difference. And with that, um obviously the um you know the the technology being seamlessly integrated into the technology that we wear. So once you um let's say don't have to change your behavior to adapt um a new product, then you know people are more likely to do it. Um like for example the Apple Watch, um having your Apple Watch to be uh sitting on a charger on a daily basis, that's basically makes it that a person needs to change their behavior. Now, besides the Apple Watch being like an incredibly popular device, especially by the people who are wearing it, um, you know, there is this like you know, this area where they are willing to do that simply because they're so happy with the device. But when you're talking mass adoption, um I think it's um things like the the the psychology behind it is is very is very important um that um that they are taking into account when new products are being designed.

SPEAKER_03 40:09

For you, how is how has uh the Apple Watch changed the face of the watch industry?

SPEAKER_00 40:14

I think it it it changed the whole space completely. Honestly, if you look at I mean besides the fact that you know you know there are some people who are making a valid point, like why would you go from a huge television screen in in the 60s, 70s to a small screen in the smartphone and then an even smaller screen uh on your wrist. Um I think that's a little bit too simple. I think also when we um when we look at the the opportunities when it comes to measuring key biometrics that the smart that's the the the Apple Watch offers, um I think that's really boundbreaking. Um also um more and what's something that's becoming more and more important is accuracy. You know, we have hundreds of wearable technology um uh bracelets out there um that you know if you would wear ten of them, ten of them would give you like uh different uh metrics um measured on your own body. So um accuracy is really something that is very important and it's gonna become more and more important, especially because when it comes to wearing uh a smartwatch, um most of the the offering is going to be in digital health. You know, it's it's it's your health that you're working on, it's awareness of your health that you want to be informed about. Um I think the Apple Watch is um is is like second to none uh when it comes to um actually um like measuring your biometrics and doing that like in an accurate way. That's like you know, there's no other device like them, like like that either.

SPEAKER_03 41:55

So when you're talking about accuracy, it's not really the everyday user isn't that fussed about being 30 seconds late or early, but perhaps the accuracy of what your body is doing uh and what's going on with your body, the Apple Watch can facilitate that, can tell you those things.

SPEAKER_00 42:12

I think it's it's about um like I think when it comes to measuring like what your your body metrics, your your key body metrics, you want to know that it's right. And especially when when you look a little further down the line, um like the best offering of technology lies in um in digital health. Um once, you know, right now it's we're just right now talking about slapping a device uh you know on our wrist. But if in let's say two to two to five years, if your doctor is actually um becoming part of this conversation and the hospital is becoming part of the conversation, because you know, when all the data that's measured on your body um in a life um um life-threatening situation, uh that data could be really valuable. Um the the doctors can actually rely on the data that's taken from your body, uh if they don't if they can't rely on it because simply because it's not accurate, um then that's a problem. So in the end, accuracy is is really something important, I think, and um it is the way forward.

SPEAKER_03 43:23

Awesome. Well, thanks, Manu. Um it's been an education for me uh listening to some of this. So uh if everyone wants to check out the uh the website and I strongly recommend they do, it's fashionerd.com. Um before I let you go, Manu, how what is the the best bit of kit you have in your wardrobe technology-wise? And also, when are we gonna actually sort out a decent hoverboard? I mean, it's been like 20 odd years since Back to the Future, too, and I'm still waiting for a good hoverboard that I can use and pick up for about 25 quid.

SPEAKER_00 43:51

Yeah, yeah, I don't I don't think honestly the hoverboard, man, great, uh good PR, but uh no, I don't think it's gonna come. Um as from my my personal um my personal uh wearable tech that I'm wearing right now is is actually from uh from a mazevit, the equator. And um this is a like a like a really like minimalistic design, a really cool um cool device that I'm wearing on my wrist. Uh it's it's it's almost what I love about it, it's like I'm not wearing anything. So it's there, uh it's measuring uh my key biometrics, I can check it on my phone, but at the same time, um, you know, it's like I'm not wearing anything, which is what I love. Um design-wise, what I love about it is that um it's got this um this keramic housing, and um it's there's a thought behind that because um when it comes to the um uh RFID, uh the radio frequency uh signals coming from a device, um, you know, RFID doesn't immediately go through like steel and and and like hard hard materials. So the way that they they've done it with the with this device is very impressive, which is like the story behind the device, which is what I love.

SPEAKER_03 45:02

And what was it called again? A mazefit.

SPEAKER_00 45:04

Yeah, a maze fit. Yeah, a maze fit. Um from um it's actually um the the design um design house from uh Xiaomi. Xiaomi is one of the biggest Robotech uh companies in the world from China.

SPEAKER_03 45:15

Cool. Well, I'm gonna have to do a bit more digging. My uh my adventures in wearable technology continue after this. You can read it. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 45:25

Great.

SPEAKER_03 45:25

Um well thanks again, Manu. Uh take care of yourself out there. Hope you get some good weather this Christmas over in Amsterdam. Is it Amsterdam you're in?

SPEAKER_00 45:32

Uh I'm in London now. I'm gonna be in London for Christmas because I love London at Christmas time, but um, yeah, heading back to Amsterdam uh the end of this week, yeah. Manu Tenapau there.

SPEAKER_03 45:41

Well, that's it from me. I'd like to thank my guests, Matthew Drinkwater, Tarawin Stanley, and Mano Tennapal. And as I mentioned earlier, if you could subscribe to us in iTunes, that would certainly help keep me in a job. And I'll leave the last word to Dr. Emmett Brown.

SPEAKER_04 45:55

Your future hasn't been written yet! No one's had. Your future is whatever you make it, to make it a good one.