GEEK CHIC: APPLE WATCH

 

GEEK CHIC: QBRACELET

SUPERCHARGED ARM CANDY

The woes of having a low cell phone battery has become a thing of the past with portable charges. Portable chargers are becoming one of the must-have items for people on-the-go. The problem is… they're not so portable when you're carrying a cute little purse or only have your back pocket to carry things in. The most stylish answer … QBracelet! The genius people at Qbracelet have developed an easy-to-carry portable charger  to keep your phone charged in the most stylish way. This unisex designed bracelet actually looks like a modern piece of jewelry and is compatible with iOS and Android devices. 

Scroll down to the video below to see how it works. 

WE JUST PUT IN OUR ORDER.

PRE-ORDER YOURS FOR JUST $79 HERE.

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By: COOL Contributer, Joanne Joseph

TREND TALK: HELLO AFRICA!

A NEW COOL IS RISING OUT OF AFRICA

Africa’s influence in fashion, business and innovation is growing. According to trending watch.com “…Africans are expecting brands to champion, support and cater to the identities they create for themselves.”  The new Guinness ad highlights a society of “elegant” people in the Congo known as the Sapeurs. The video follows these trendsetters who believe in ‘putting more in, to get more out.’ What shapes their identity is not economic status, but creativity and respect expressed through fashion.

Beyoncé on the cover of L' Officiel Magazine

Singer Elle Varner rocks an african teacup dress on-set of video shoot

Solange in African inspired outfit on the cover of Complex magazine

Rihanna accessorizes with African bangles during her 2010 AMA performance 

African Design Makes Waves:

As African-inspired prints & patterns are becoming more popular with fashion bloggers, trend-setting celebrities (like Beyonce & Rhianna), top stylists and designers; Africa is continues to make big waves in fashion and design. African Batik fabrics such as Dutch Wax prints (also known as Wax Hollandais), Ghanaian Kente cloth and Ankara, Kanga (a fabric from East Africa) have been worn down the runways of New York, London, Milan and Paris. The Balenciaga collection for spring 2013 featured African fashion influenced by Dutch wax prints and Ankara. H&M included African elements in their 2012 collection developed by the designers of the Italian fashion label Marni.

Recently Project Makowla launched an innovative new service that allows vendors to sell their African-inspired pieces and reach their consumers all over the world in a more direct manner. Now, people can have custom pieces based created with authentic African fabrics. The process is simple. Customers send photos of their favorite design, measurements and their choice of African fabric. A seamstress from West Africa or Ghana will then create the custom piece and ship it directly to the customer.  

Nigerian-born designer Duro Olowu is another example of the impact and cultural reach that Africa is making globally. Olowu was one of the first designers to collaborate with JCPenny and released a limited edition collection in the spring of 2013. Based in London, Olowu pulls influences from his London up-bringing as well as his Jamaican and Nigerian roots. FLOTUS, Michelle Obama, is just one of the many celebrities that have been seen in his head-turning designs. 

Duro 2013 Collection for JCPenny

Another COOL movement, Africa is Now, goes beyond fashion and includes five themes to promote innovative solutions; Africa is Sharp, Urban, Tradition Reinvented, Resourceful and Transformed. As a part of the movement, the Indaba Project has been created to feature works in design, dècor and architecture across the continent. Rebranding Rwanda is is one of the projects in the works under this project. 

Other projects include developing art exhibitions and galleries in Dakar called Dak'Art. International artists are selected from all over the world with the aim of creating a global image. There is also a kickstarter campaign called BRCK which developed the first mobile wifi device built for Africa’s most undeveloped regions.

There are so many more innovative African-influenced projects happening all over  world. To get more information on these #Certified COOL and creative projects, you can visit the official Design Indaba site. You can also get in on all the cultural vibes below with our style edit! Happy shopping and stay COOL.

THE SHOPPING BAG
#CertifiedCOOL AFRICANA FASHION FINDS 

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By: Joanne Joseph, COOL Contributor

TREND TALK : TECH MEETS THREAD

By Joanne Joseph, Contributor

It's no secret that tech is plays a huge role in fashion. We recently featured DVF's collaboration with Google Glasses. In our search for #CertifiedCOOL tech style, we discovered the work of two game-changing artists. Amy Winters and Ying Gao are among the latest fashion innovators exploring the possibilities of tech and thread. 

In her latest work, Winters uses color and pattern that reacts to sound, movement, natural light and water. The London-based artist's designs have become an interactive wearable-art experience. Her Sound Reactive Dress detects volume levels and responds by producing markings that resemble lighting. There's even a motion-sensitive morph dress that is triggered by human movements. She also invented a dress that you wouldn't mind getting caught in the rain with. The Orange Butterfly dress, changes color once it comes in contact with water. 

Winter's touch-activated, fiber-optic dress was recently on display at the Consumers

Electronics Show earlier this year. “If you feel like having purple, the dress will be purple,” she explained. “If you later feel like having red, you have red. You just look at the sleeve and

decide what color you want.” Her work has been featured in magazines including Marie Claire Spain, Stylist, XO and Travel and Leisure Southeast Asia. Her pieces have also made their way to the list of CNBC's Future Fashion list of 10 Wearable Tech Trends to Watch.

Another innovator leaving their mark in the tech meets fashion revolution is Ying Gao. The artist's work includes a piece that moves on sight called (No) where (Now) here. It is embedded with eye-tracking technology fibers that move as the eye comes in contact with the garment, expressing a relationship between the onlooker and the article of clothing.

As a fashion designer and a professor at the Université du Québec à Montréal, Ying was inspired by the architecture of Beijing and its urbanization. She researched the relationships between individuals, their cities and their environments. This influenced her 2008 project titled Living Pod, in which light sensors are installed throughout the garment, causing the dresses to react to light. Ying's interactive and unconventional pieces have been featured in Vogue, Vanity Fair, Azure and Time Magazine and continue to be on display in various museums including the Quebec Museum of Fine Arts in Canada.

Living Pod Coat

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Fashion finds inspired by tech trends

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