It seems natural: solar chargers connected to lithium ion batteries,
all nicely snugged into a hyper-cool jacket. The ‘smartTextiles”
village at CeBIT is where eventually, Armani will meet Jobs– and play
catch-up to the enormous varieties of techno-clothing at the village
this year.
We found fashion (yes, that’s an iPod holder built into the sleeve),
sports (you need controlled heat? Yeah, we do that), workwear (twenty- one pockets, and there’s a techno-gadget in each and a USB-charging
power supply for each) to healthcare.
Fun fashions include (almost) wireless yet CPU-regulated temperature- controlled gear from warmX, and the aforementioned Pierre Cardin solar- cell powered jackets. The Mobile Research Center at the University of
Bremen specializes in technical apparel from high-tech gloves through
to Borg-like multi-function occupation-specific designs that borrow
heavily from Hollywood wardrobe designer in concept, then turned into
job-specific combinations.
Cardin is already here. It’s only a matter of time until Jobs and
Armani arrive on the scene. I can only imagine what iPants might look
like.