The fashion system is always looking towards the future, focusing on experimenting with shapes and materials. If up until a few years ago innovation was expressed through Versace‘s clothes in Oroton fabric, today we move from tailoring to the computer lab, and rue Cambon becomes the Silicon Valley. The designers are integrating fashion and technology, creating ultra-fashion cyborgs made of crocodile skin and microchips, which combine the pillars of the millennial era in a single accessory: cutting-edge software in a vintage Chanel bag.
LOUIS VUITTON SPEEDY BANDOULIÈRE 35: THE BAG WITH ANIMATED SCREENS
During the Cruise 2020 show, Nicolas Ghesquière combined past and future in structured clothes that echoed New York architecture, articulating the collections in art-deco structures and velvets trapped by flower corsets. The high-tech Speedy Bandoulière 35 surely catches the eye, where the classic Louis Vuitton monogram bag model is incorporated with PVC-coated, digital and flexible screens with OLED technology, which work through a system of diodes that emit organic light. The images alternate in a fascinating mix of lines and colors, creating beautiful optical effects that give the illusion of entering a psychedelic tunnel with no exit. A unique fusion, where the minimalism of modernist design meets the classicism of the Vuitton maison.
THE LOUIS VUITTON KEEPALL 55 MONOGRAM CHANGES COLOUR THROUGH THE IPHONE
More than once we have praised the originality of the male wardrobe, which is more and more frequently the envy of the most hardened fashion victims. In the case of high-tech bags, the one who has conquered our hearts is surely Virgil Abloh who has created a rainbow version of the Keepall 55 Monogram bag for the FW 19/20 collection. Already for the summer he had declined it into a splendid holographic hue, but in this case, he chose a micro-led system incorporated in the fabric that changes colour. The LV logo is tinged with all the shades of the rainbow, which stand out against the black base of the bag. And, of course, it’s not over here. The colour effects can be changed and controlled via iPhone.
MAISON MARGIELA: THE NDN BAG WAS CONCEIVED WITH AN EXTERNAL POCKET FOR TABLET AND IPAD
Not really high-tech, but almost so. The style of Maison Margiela is certainly avant-gardist, and its white-black contrasts associated with unusual and futuristic models suggest a mix between Willy Wonka‘s TV room and the 90s Nasa suits. Technology is therefore always present, even in inspiration. With the NDN bag, John Galliano wanted to create an accessory for modern needs: a versatile backpack shows a transparent pocket perfect for tablets, and the uses are variable: for the most practical ones it is the perfect opportunity to access technology without having to open the backpack every single time; for the most creative ones it is the way to change the bag every day by playing with lights, colours and, why not, also with sounds.
CHANEL AND THE CRUISE 2020 MINAUDIÈRE: A MINI BAG WITH LUMINOUS EFFECTS RECALLING TRAFFIC LIGHTS
After the death of Karl Lagerfeld, we were terrified to see the first Chanel collection designed by another hand, but Virginie Viard picked up the legacy of her teacher who had been preparing her for 30 years, and the Cruise 2020 is was a real success. The travel inspiration is very present not only in clothes, but also in accessories, designed to be practical and capacious: in a nutshell, ideal for traveling. However, we are still talking about Chanel, and the pure aesthetics for its own sake cannot miss: having said that, here comes a minaudière on the catwalk that recalling the traffic lights of the railways, with lights that flash on and off. A true jewel of fashion and technology that once again confirms the maison’s ability to create art objects.
SARA GIUNTI CREATED THE GALATEA BAG WHICH VIBRATES WHEN WE RECEIVE A CALL
In conclusion, an all-Italian product made by bag designer Sara Giunti, who created a line of accessories, the 289, which mixes the DNA of leather craftsmanship with new technologies. Made in Italy and with a lively and feminine design reminiscent of Marie Antoinette’s pastries, the Galatea bag is the centrepiece of the collection: elegant, feminine and with a unique quid. In fact, with just one click, small lights turn on inside the bag, great for when the keys are not found, late at night, between a falling umbrella and the mascara that runs off, and there’s also a Bluetooth system connected to an app that makes the bag vibrate whenever we receive a phone call. It’s communication in the Gossip Girl era.