I have been following the very interesting developments in technical textiles since we launched our textiles section almost two years ago, so when I saw a promotion for the WTIN webinar on Smart Textiles for Fashion, Entertainment, and Lifestyle, I was interested to see what new information they had to share on the topic. The webinar did not disappoint! While many of their webinars are password-protected, this one—likely since it is promoting a new report series on the topic—is available for free.

Presenter Fiona Haran, WTIN Editor for Technical Textiles, started the session by defining what is meant by smart textiles for Fashion, Entertainment, and Lifestyle—or in WTIN shorthand, FEL—saying, “Fashion refers to everyday fashion, or haute couturegarments and accessories; entertainment refers to wearables for gaming, augmented reality, and virtual reality experiences; and lifestyle is a textile-based item aimed at physically active people or those that have a specific life interest such as yogis.”

Haran points out that media interest in smart textiles has largely been driven by their use for things like eye-catching stage costumes or haptic gaming suits, which typically are not designed for comfort and flexibility, and they can be difficult to wash and not very durable. This presents a challenge for wider adoption of these technologies among fashion brands and consumers. However, there is a great deal of activity in this area with efforts to overcome those challenges, and we will be following up with some of the interesting companies Haran identified during the session.