26 Mar 2025
Fashion and tech have long been linked, and recent trends reinforce this. Last month alone, Jensen Huang wore a custom ERL leather jacket, Bill Gates wore Celine, and, of course, the Apple x Hermès partnership. Tech leaders are embracing high fashion, and luxury brands are exploring further the future with tech.
It’s not new, fashion’s has always tapped sci-fi, cutting-edge materials, and branded gadgets for creativity. McKinsey says fashion firms invested 1.8% of revenues in tech in 2021, estimating 3% by 2030, driven by smart fabrics and analytics.
Here are some of my favorite moments where fashion and tech collided:
✿ Givenchy by Alexander McQueen (Fall/Winter 1999) One of my all-time favorites. Inspired by Blade Runner (1982, Ridley Scott), McQueen worked hardware chip-like prints into his designs, ending with a spectacular lit-up dress that turned the model into a futuristic robot.
✿ Alexander McQueen’s Spray-Painted Dress (Spring/Summer 1999) Two robots paint a model's dress live on stage. Epic moment in fashion that is still being referenced.
✿ LG x Prada Phone (2006) Before the iPhone, LG and Prada created one of the first luxury touchscreen phones, ahead of its time.
✿ Acne Studios x Robbie Barrat (2020-2022) Acne collaborated with one of the biggest names in Generative Art movement, a pioneer known for his work at the intersection of AI and art.
✿ Louis Vuitton’s ‘Louis: The Game’ (2021) A luxury adventure game merging storytelling, gaming, and branding and NFTs in an unprecedented way. Players could collect NFTs designed by Beeple, the most famous NFT artist who sold his NFT artwork for $69.3 million.
✿ Coperni’s Spray-On Dress (2022) Science, tech, and fashion met on stage as a liquid fiber was sprayed onto Bella Hadid, transforming into a wearable dress.
✿ Loewe Pixel capsule SS23 by JW Anderson (2023) Blurring the lines between virtual and real, Jonathan Anderson played with pixelated designs and even dressed a model entirely in iPads.
Forbes confirms this fashion-tech boom is accelerating, with luxury brands embracing smart fabrics and immersive experiences. What are your favorite fashion-tech crossovers?
Sources:
Youtube video 1 Youtube video 2 Youtube video 3 Youtube video 4 Youtube video 5 Youtube video 6 Youtube video 7 McKinsey State of Fashion report Forbes - Fashion meets technology