Fashion Design Innovation and Technology

Since the emergence of haute couture, Paris has conceived the world’s greatest fashion design innovation. However, as fashion innovation becomes increasingly technologydriven, Silicon Valley is carving out its own role in fashion. The results (particularly in wearable technology) are less than fashionable. The technology needs to finds aesthetic and the Parisian-based luxury fashion brands are well positioned to provide it. How can a dialogue be created between Paris and Silicon Valley in the emerging fashion-tech space? Over a ten-week period, I interviewed, worked alongside, and learned from Parisian fashion houses, investment firms, designers, and students interested in technologydriven innovation. I mapped out how brands are innovating – from product design and trend projection, to online, social, and in-store experiences. Ultimately, my research proposed a process of better merging Silicon Valley with fashion best practices.