Smartwatches and activity trackers are on wrists everywhere. Virtual and augmented reality headsets give us a new modality of entertainment and learning. By 2020, wearable devices will represent a market worth of $40 billion with over 240 million annual unit shipments. A growing segment of wearables that integrate technology into fabrics in a visually seamless way is opening up a massive creative space for fashion designers in this highly technical market. Smart fabrics are bringing fashion design face-to-face with technology, and the possibilities are unlimited.

With their invisibly embedded technology, smart fabrics make donning wearables as second nature as throwing on a jacket before heading out the door. Invisible sensors and intelligent analytics provide what we’ve come to expect from wearable tech – communication, health data, exercise stats – and perform more advanced functions such as monitoring one’s emotional state, stress level, and ergonomic posture.