After seven days of Fashion & Tech conferences, conversations, and startup pitches it takes some time to absorb all the ideas before diving back into their practical application.
And through it all, one recurring question kept coming up before during and after: "what is fashion tech?"
In a couple of meetings held since the event, we've realized that the subject matter is so vast that one week of events in the evening is hardly enough to satisfy everyone's curiosity. At the same time, if we get too specific we alienate the larger audience.
So we are in a strange limbo of having experts with very focused specialties, and otherwise theoreticians who can speak in broad strokes about the movements we are experiencing. The one is difficult to relate to for the larger audience, and the other is too vague for practical application.
But it's early days. And what we love more than anything is that these events only opened more doors for future programs, and opened more discussions that help us pose tough questions and continue to evolve.
Starkweather was seen at the round table, discussing how technology will change our approach to Sustainability in Fashion, at the startup weekend hackathon, encouraging entrepreneurs to find opportunity in the space merging fashion & tech, and at an impromptu talk at Parsons Paris discussing how technology plays into the design of Starkweather's garments and Starkweather as a business.
With an upcoming relocation back to New York, it will be an exciting time to explore the two cities from the vantage point of Fashion and Technology in both places.
As Starkweather grows and matures, we hope that the conversations held here and in our real world appearances will continue to bridge the divide between the entrepreneurial/tech community and the fashion community. We feel at home in this common ground, and love the community that gathers here. Hope we'll be seeing you soon!