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Levi Strauss and Google have teamed up to launch a smart jacket that allows the wearer to access music, navigation, text messages, and calls with the swipe of their sleeve.
The Levi’s® Commuter™ Trucker jacket with Jacquard by Google was put on sale September 27, 2017.
The denim jacket comes with a smart tag attached to the cuff that lights up, vibrates when receiving notifications and sends a signal to the wearer’s smartphone when swiped.
It then integrates with the Jacquard app on the user’s phone, allowing them to customise their experience, whether playing or pausing a song or getting the ETA on a destination.
The smart jacket is the first product of a collaboration between Levi’s and Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects (Atap) division first announced back in June 2015 with a view to developing 'connected clothes', weaving interactive components into the fabric. Named Project Jacquard, the new programme was presented at Google's I/O Developers Conference.
“Jacquard by Google enables designers like Levi’s brand to embed digital interactivity and connectivity into apparel as part of their natural design process, allowing technology to become a new ingredient for their creative expression,” said the partners in a joint statement.
Jacquard yarn structures combine thin, metallic alloys with natural and synthetic yarns like cotton, polyester, or silk, making the yarn strong enough to be woven on an industrial loom.
According to the Design Museum, the Google jacket is part of the "Beazley Designs of the Year" exhibition, which is made up of nominations across STEM fields such as Architecture, Digital, Fashion, and Graphics.
The collaboration between Levi Strauss & Co. and Google Inc. has added touch and gesture interactivity into textiles. Clothing can now understand touch gestures, activate digital services, and respond to feedback.
Once you’ve set up your Jacquard-enabled garment, you can access online services, apps, and information without reaching for your phone. With a simple brush of your cuff, you can now get your next direction or skip to the next track on your playlist. Connectivity is made possible through Jacquard Threads and embedded electronics. And, of course, you can wash them just like any other jacket.
The smart jacket is now available for purchase for $350 in select stores including Kinfolk in Brooklyn, Fred Segal in Hollywood and Concepts in Boston.
From October 2nd, it will become available online at levi.com as well as select Levi’s stores in Santa Monica, Chicago, New York and San Francisco.