Many of you have probably heard about Iris Apfel‘s debut on the cover of Dazed & Confused magazine, looking stunning in a Comme des Garçons get-up.  The issue’s theme is “The New Aesthetic”, so many people are a bit confused themselves why the magazine would highlight a 91 year old on the cover.  The New Aesthetic is the modern theory which describes visual culture and looks at how technology is becoming engrained with the material world.  It is essentially shaping our views and how we think.

The New Aesthetic got me thinking about the important role technology plays in our modern lives, and how technology is becoming more and more integrated into fashion.  For example, I recently came across these GPS shoes.  Named “No Place Like Home”, the shoes are programmed with a GPS and tiny LED lights that light up in the direction of where the wearer needs to go to get home.

“No Place Like Home” GPS shoes

So how do they work?  First, you plug in your home address.  Once you have that plugged in, you need to turn the GPS on.  Titled aptly, you simply click your heels, just like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz!  These creations are courtesy of designer Dominic Wilcox in collaboration with shoemaker Stamp Shoes, as well as interactive art technologist Becky Stewart.

Continue reading →