Artist Talk: Anouk Wipprecht, FASHIONTECH: Rethinking Fashion in the Age of Digitalisation

Thursday, May 2, 2019 - 1:00pm

Dutch FashionTech designer Anouk Wipprecht creates designs ahead of her time; combining the latest in science and technology to make fashion an experience that transcends mere appearances. She wants her garments to facilitate and augment the interactions we have with ourselves and our surroundings. Her Spider Dress is a perfect example of this aesthetic, where sensors and moveable arms on the dress help to create a more defined boundary of personal space while employing a fierce style. Partnering up with companies such as Intel, AutoDesk, Google, Arduino, Microsoft, Samsung, Adobe, Adidas, Cirque Du Soleil, Audi, Disney, Swarovski, and 3D printing company Shapeways she researches how our future would look as we continue to embed technology into what we wear, and more importantly – how this will change our perspective on how we will interface with technology.

Lecture will be followed by a short Question and Answer.

www.anoukwipprecht.nl

https://www.hollandtradeandinvest.com/key-sectors/creative-industries

www.dfthesis.com

Presented by the Digital Futures Graduate Program and the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Venue & Address: 
Room 322 (3rd Floor) at 230 Richmond St. W. Toronto, M5V 1V3
Cost: 
Free!
The 3D printed Spider Dress by Anouk Wipprecht [Source: Anouk Wipprecht]

Meet the Digital Futures

Friday, April 5, 2019 - 10:30am to 12:30pm

Please join the Digital Futures Undergraduate Program for the Second Annual Meet the Digital Futures event!

Meet the Digital Futures is an opportunity for students and faculty from the Digital Futures program and the greater OCAD community to engage with the thesis projects created by this year’s graduating undergraduate cohort. This informal exhibition includes the launch of the websites created by each of the students and the works created as part of their thesis.

This event is co-hosted by the Digital Futures Undergraduate Program and the Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers.

Venue & Address: 
Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers, 115 McCaul St., 3rd Floor.
Cost: 
FREE
"Meet the Digital Futures" written to look like neon lights

Applications are open now for Murmur Land Studios 2017 events

Photo of tents glowing at dusk
Thursday, December 15, 2016 - 5:00am

Murmur Land Studios is an experimental school initiative offering event-based pedagogy in art, philosophy, movement, ecology and community for the post-anthropocene era. Our attempt is to curate spaces of creative inquiry which attract diverse makers, thinkers and doers together around thematic concerns relevant to the challenging times which lay before us. We are interested in exploring the varied human and more-than-human relations that weave and co-compose new possibilities for joy and survival.

Sean Smith is one of the three founding members of the Murmur Land Studios curatorial collective launching this program.  Sean teaches both Wearable Art and Site and Intervention in the First-Year Program in the Faculty of Art. He brings his art teaching experience at OCADU and PhD in Media Philosophy to his role as faculty of the MLS field schools.

Applications are open now for our 2017 events: "The City in Reverse: Diagramming Intelligent Systems" (July - Sherbrooke, NS) and "Wander Lines: Mythodological Escapism" (August - Saysutshun/Newcastle Island, BC). Deadline is December 15.

More information is available at: www.murmurlandstudios.net.

 

Venue & Address: 
Sherbrooke, NS & Saysutshun/Newcastle Island, BC
Website: 
http://www.murmurlandstudios.net.

When I Breathe the Ocean Curls

Lauren A.M. Scott performing When I Breathe the Ocean Curls (2015). Photographed by David Ballantine
Thursday, January 14, 2016 - 12:00am to Saturday, January 30, 2016 - 9:00pm

InterAccess presents When I Breathe the Ocean Curls, a performative environment by Lauren A.M. Scott. Scott is the recipient of the 2015 InterAccess Media Arts Prize, awarded to an Integrated Media graduating student at OCAD University.

When I Breathe the Ocean Curls utilizes Scott’s physical body to extend her breath into space. The artist wears a stretch sensor around her torso, and as her chest rises and falls with breath, six small electronic fans produce the effect of wind as she exhales. Scott’s breath becomes the force that connects her to the audience as an invisible extension of touch.

Scott will perform this work four times throughout the exhibition period. In the intervening days, visitors to the gallery can view video documentation of her performance and engage with its physical trace.

An essay by Francisco-Fernando Granados accompanies the exhibition.

Opening reception:
Wednesday, January 13, 2016 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Performance begins at 7:30 p.m.

Additional performance dates:
Saturday, January 16, 2016 at 2:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, January 30, 2016 at 2:00 p.m.

Venue & Address: 
InterAccess 9 Ossington Avenue, Toronto
Website: 
http://interaccess.org/exhibition/when-i-breathe-ocean-curls
Phone: 
416-532-0597

Why isn’t fashion taking part in the wearable tech revolution?

By Robert Tu, founder of MeU, a wearable technology company
 

Wearable tech is a hot topic these days, especially with the release of the Apple Watch. Most devices on the market today, however, are focused on fitness, health or gaming, and most are not considered fashion pieces (with the exception of the Apple Watch). So what about fashionable clothing and wearable tech? When are we going to see that?

There are companies that are exploring fashion and wearable technology. Most of them are embedding LEDs in textiles, such as Cute Circuit in the UK, which makes video dresses for celebrities and other high-end clients. There’s also Switch Embassy, which is developing a social t-shirt whereby it can display tweets, photos and other social media data on your shirt. And, finally, there’s MeU, which has developed wearable digital signage for advertisers and experiential marketers.

Getting the average consumer to adopt this kind of clothing has proven difficult. One of the major reasons is social acceptance. People are not yet ready to wear flashing lights as a fashion statement. And even if they were, the price of these products is not accessible to the average person.

This is because the fashion industry and the tech industry are from two completely different worlds. Getting them to collaborate to make an affordable product will take time because they need to learn each other’s cultures, customs and processes. Another major challenge is the product life cycle of the two industries. The fashion life cycle is seasonal, whereas hardware electronics is annual and we haven’t found a way to resolve these two differences.

That being said, a recent announcement by Google and Levi’s sounds promising. Google recently announced a partnership with the iconic jean company: Levi's will make clothing out of Google’s new smart-fabric material. The possibilities are interesting. You could answer your phone by swiping on your sleeve, or take a selfie by touching your pocket.

It will be a while before you see fashionable clothing with embedded technology at your local clothing store. But it will happen. It’s just a matter of when.

You can learn more about wearable tech — and make your own — by registering for Robert Tu’s Introduction to Wearable Media course through OCAD University’s Continuing Studies.

 

 

Robert Tu is a graduate of OCAD University from the Graphic Design program. He also has a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Waterloo, and worked as an engineer for a number of years before transitioning into business development at IBM. Since graduating from OCAD U, he founded MeU, a wearable technology company that is developing socially interactive clothing. As a designer, entrepreneur and engineer, Robert is interested in exploring the way we perceive clothing and how wearable technology can change our behaviours and interactions with each other and our environments.

Five things I learned in OCAD University's experiential learning program that I couldn't have in a classroom

Christine Lieu
Thursday, July 30, 2015 - 8:45pm

Christine Lieu graduated from OCAD University in spring 2015, after studying graphic design. She participated in OCAD U’s experiential learning program and worked with MeU (a wearable-tech company) through the Imagination Catalyst. Christine’s experience there helped her land a position as a social media designer for Walmart Live Better through Rogers' M-School program.

Here are Christine’s five things she learned in experiential learning that she couldn’t have in a classroom:

1. How to create connections and evolve my network

Because I was given the opportunity to work within a lot of events and shows, I was constantly exposed to meeting new people. Being able to leave a lasting impression and to be able to follow up with these contacts really grew my network and led to potential freelance clients as well as to what made the best fit for my current position.

2. Getting out of my comfort zone

Being at OCAD U, I felt you were generally in the same classes with the same people from year to year, which is great to create a tight-knit support group, but it didn’t give me the chance to challenge my social comfort zone. Experiential learning really challenged me to put myself out there and to try new things and to meet new people that I wouldn’t have normally had the chance to meet.

3. Learning what I love and what I hate 

The well-rounded role that I had really exposed me to a variety of duties from social media and sales/marketing to production and everything in-between. Through this process, you really figure out what you really enjoy and find new passions, while realizing what you don’t enjoy so much.

4. Gain industry experience 

As much as school and theory can prepare you with the background knowledge to do something, there’s no better way to hit the ground running than to be put right within the industry. 

5. Learn and to be able to find what I enjoy to do 

Being exposed to and given the responsibility to try a wide array of roles really gave me the opportunity to experiment and find a passion for design. I appreciated that Robert from MeU believed in me enough to let me take on these roles, and that's where I found my love for social media design. That’s led me to doing social media for Walmart Live Better through the Rogers' M-School program.

Learn more about OCAD U’s experiential learning program

Make Your Own Wearable Workshop by Imagination Catalyst

Image of a dress with a digital Twitter bird across the front
Wednesday, July 29, 2015 - 8:00pm to 10:00pm

Want to learn more about wearables? Interested in working with conductive thread and fabrics? OCAD University is proud to present a Maker Festival satellite event in making your own wearables. In this workshop participants will learn the basics of electronic circuits, sewing with conductive thread and working with conductive fabric. At the end of the session, participants will make a light up electronic cuffs that they can then take home and light up the night with!

This workshop will be led and facilitated by: Robert Tu

Robert Tu is a graduate of OCAD University from the graphic design program. He also has a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Waterloo. He then worked as an engineer for a number of years before transitioning into business development at IBM. Since graduating from OCADU he founded MeU, a wearable technology company that is developing socially interactive clothing. As a designer, entrepreneur and engineer, Robert is interested in exploring the way we perceive clothing and how wearable technology can change our behaviours and interactions with each other and our environment.

Questions? Email: schen@ocadu.ca
This workshop has limited seating - RSVP before seats run out!

Venue & Address: 
100 McCaul Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1W1 Room 284 (Up the spiral stairs, to your left)
Website: 
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/make-your-own-wearable-by-imagination-catalyst-tickets-17871036752
Email: 
schen@ocadu.ca
Phone: 
416-977-6000 ext. 4364
Cost: 
FREE

Why isn’t fashion taking part in the wearable tech revolution?

A cyclist photographed from behind with digitally lit shirt that reads "stop"
Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - 7:45pm

The challenges and barriers in making fashionable clothing with wearable technology

By Robert Tu, founder of MeU, a wearable technology company

 

Wearable tech is a hot topic these days, especially with the release of the Apple Watch. But most devices on the market today are focused on fitness, health or gaming and are not considered fashion pieces (with the exception of the Apple Watch). So what about fashionable clothing and wearable tech? When are we going to see that?

There are companies that are exploring fashion and wearable technology. Most of them are embedding LEDs in textiles such as Cute Circuit in the UK, which makes video dresses for celebrities and other high end clients. There’s also Switch Embassy that is developing a social t-shirt that can display tweets, photos and other social media data on your shirt. And finally there’s MeU, which has developed wearable digital signage for advertisers and experiential marketers.

Getting the average consumer to adopt this kind of clothing has proven difficult. One of the major reasons is social acceptance. People are not ready to wear flashing lights as a fashion statement yet. And even if they were, the price of these products is not accessible to the average person.

This is because the fashion industry and the tech industry are from two completely different worlds. Getting them to collaborate to make an affordable product will take time as each needs to learn the other’s cultures, customs and processes. Another major challenge is the product life cycle of the two industries. The fashion life cycle is seasonal whereas hardware electronics is annual, and we haven’t found a way to resolve these two differences.

That said, a recent announcement by Google and Levi’s sounds promising. Google announced a partnership with the iconic jean company wherein they’ll make clothing out of Google’s new smart fabric material. The possibilities are interesting.  You could answer your phone by swiping on your sleeve, or take a selfie by touching your pocket.

It will be a while before we see fashionable clothing with embedded technology at our local clothing stores, but it will happen. It’s just a matter of when.

You can learn more about wearable tech — and make your own — by registering for Robert Tu’s Introduction to Wearable Media course as part of OCAD University’s Continuing Studies.

 

Robert Tu is a graduate of OCAD University’s Graphic Design program. He also has a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Waterloo, and worked as an engineer for a number of years before transitioning into business development at IBM. Since graduating from OCAD U he founded MeU, a wearable technology company that is developing socially interactive clothing. As a designer, entrepreneur and engineer, Tu is interested in exploring the way we perceive clothing and how wearable technology can change our behaviours and interactions with each other and our environment.

Kate Hartman - Inside the Social Body Lab

Photo of a woman smiling
Photo of a pattern on fabric
Photo of a woman wearing two shoulder apparatus
Photo of a woman wearing a red hood
Wednesday, May 20, 2015 - 3:30pm to 5:00pm

Kate Hartman, recipient of the 2013-2014 OCAD University Award for Excellence in Early Stage Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity and Associate Professor from the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies, will be presenting a talk titled "Inside the Social Body Lab."

What is it like to pursue design and technological prototyping activities within the research environment at OCAD University? In this presentation, Kate will discuss the first five years of the Social Body Lab — OCAD U’s lab dedicated to body-centric technologies in the social context. Topics will include an overview of the lab’s activities, an introduction to the team and how they work, and a deep-dive case study of the development of Monarch — a muscle-activated kinetic wearable. Finally, Kate will address where the lab sits in the current wearables landscape and introduce areas for future development.

Bio:
Kate Hartman is an artist, technologist, and educator whose work spans the fields of physical computing, wearable electronics, and conceptual art. She is the author of the recently published book "Make: Wearable Electronics". Her work has been exhibited internationally and featured by the New York Times, BBC, CBC, NPR, in books such as "Fashionable Technology" and "Art Science Now". She was a speaker at TED 2011 and her work is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Kate is the Associate Professor of Wearable and Mobile Technology in the Digital Futures program. There she founded and directs the Social Body Lab, a research and development team dedicated to exploring body-centric technologies in the social context. She is also the Un-Director of ITP Camp, a summer program for grownups at ITP/NYU in New York City. Kate enjoys bicycles, rock climbing, and someday hopes to work in Antarctica.

Venue & Address: 
100 McCaul, Room 264
Email: 
vly@ocadu.ca
Phone: 
416-977-6000 ext. 474
Cost: 
Free

Bradley Quinn predicts the future of digital fashion

Photo of Bradley Quinn, UK fashion forecaster
Image of dress by Robert Tu of MeU featuring embedded LED lights
Friday, March 6, 2015 - 4:30pm

Fashion writer and design expert Bradley Quinn spoke to a packed auditorium of 300 OCAD U students, faculty, media and fashion aficionados on February 24, 2015. Thirty-year fashion journalist Jeanne Beker introduced Quinn and moderated the Q & A after his hour-long talk.

Quinn described advances in wearable technology since the first clunky attempts he saw at MIT in the mid-nineties. Most people just think of coloured LED lights sewn into clothes, he says, but, “Now the technology can engage with the wearer and interact in a different way where it can actually tell how the wearer feels. This is a huge shift.”

Advances in nanotechnology mean that microchips are increasingly robust and affordable. Inventions like programmable upholstery measure the consumer experience and send data to corporations for use in future designs. Three-D printing is another driver in wearable technology because of the ability to print conductive materials.

Quinn predicts a “radical shakeup” in the fashion industry five years from now. He says that the fashion graduate today is graduating with “a completely different skill set,” and can code, incorporate algorithms in their design process, and experiment with a wide range of technologies. “They are changing the fashion industry today,” Quinn told his audience, “more than the graduate of only six yrs ago.”

 

 

 

 

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