Leuty Parker

Tag: #fashion

  • New Direction; SWT vs Medi-tech

    The future of fashion isn’t just about aesthetics anymore… it’s about intelligence!

    From designing and selling fashion inmy BA degree, I constantly found myself moving beyond traditional garment #design and towards something a bit more functional. This shift became even more interesting as I sawthe rapid rise of #athleisure, where the audience increasingly expected their clothes to do more than simply look good. The bigger question: what if sportswear evolved beyond performance apparel into performance technology? Could the next generation of garments actively monitor, support, and even enhance our health?

    This shift isn’t about shock, and turning people into superheroes through futuristic gadgets. It’s about #designing products that subtley work in the background, to help us better understand our bodies, identify potential #health concerns earlier, and enhance our overall wellbeing. This is where smart wearable technology (#SWT) becomes really exciting.

    Brands like @KYMIRA are leading this evolution, blurring the boundaries between fashion, sportswear and healthcare through scientifically driven innovation. Alongside pioneers such as @Tala and @NowYouLive, these companies are demonstrating that the future of fashion isn’t just about what we wear, it’s about what our clothing can do for us. Redefining the relationship between design, performance and health, and I’ll be exploring each of them in more depth in future posts.

    And over the last few years, #med-tech has undergone a remarkable transformation, where #healthcare is no longer focused solely on digitising patient records or replacing outdated systems. Instead, we’re entering a new era of intelligent technologies that combine #AI, #robotics, advanced #sensors and #biological data to support faster diagnoses, personalised treatments and continuous health monitoring. Rather than existing as isolated innovations, these technologies are increasingly becoming connected #ecosystems, integrating hardware, software and real-time physiological data to improve clinical decision-making and long-term patient care.

    For someone interested in SWT, this represents an incredibly exciting direction. The boundaries between fashion, engineering and medicine are beginning to blur. #Clothing is evolving from something we simply wear into something that interacts with us, collecting data, communicating with healthcare professionals and adapting to our individual needs. Smart textiles, embedded #biosensors and AI-powered wearables are opening the door to garments that can monitor heart rate, analyse posture, detect early signs of illness and support rehabilitation, all without disrupting everyday life.

    This is why I believe the future of fashion lies beyond traditional apparel. Designing for sport was only the beginning. The next frontier is creating garments and wearable devices that become part of our healthcare infrastructure, products that are as beautifully designed as they are clinically valuable. It is no longer just about creating clothes that enhance performance; it is about developing intelligent companions that help us live healthier, longer lives.

    My new direction is to explore the emerging world of smart wearable devices and robotic healthcare technologies, not simply as medical innovations, but as the next evolution of design itself. From AI-powered health monitors and smart textiles to robotic rehabilitation systems and adaptive prosthetics, these innovations are redefining what it means to wear technology. They are not designed to make us superhuman; they are designed to make healthcare more proactive, personalised and seamlessly integrated into our everyday lives.

    Because perhaps the most exciting fashion trend of the next decade won’t be defined by colour palettes or silhouettes, it will be defined by intelligence.

  • Value

    From my previous role as a fashion developer, I’m accustomed to evaluating garments and their properties through a cost-focused lens.

    With whole industries focusing on how to price the end product is a very important issue. What I had to do was build tech packs for manufacturers with the Mr fabrics or findings being called “tech packs”.

    However, the true value of a product can extend far beyond the item itself. In the industry I worked in, and within my role, the focus was firmly on the end product—yet my recent purchase of @ChristianLouboutin shoes, which I’ve written about time and time again, really clarified for me how value can be perceived in a completely different way.

    They paired effortlessly with my wardrobe and were incredibly easy to wear, everything you’d expect from a luxury trainer. However, considering they’re from @ChristianLouboutin, the quality has been a real disappointment.

    After less than a year, they’re already falling apart, a clear sign of poor craftsmanship. For a brand positioned at such a high level, and with a price tag that felt almost painful to justify, the reality simply hasn’t lived up to the expectation.

    However, a new, less superficial sense of value emerges here. Beyond simply being expensive, the pleasure and satisfaction of owning a pair of those iconic red soled trainers was incomparable far outweighing the initial pain of the purchase.

    Taking both perspectives into account, I’d say the overall value ultimately balances out….

    I’m Leuty has a pair of (highly damaged and scuffed) red sold trainers

  • Because AI is so woke right now

    You’ve likely noticed I’ve shared plenty of posts about AI, it’s a key part of my niche, blending fashion with technology alongside content on health maintenance (diabetes and TBI). This post continues that focus, while also keeping readers up to date with developments from a more professional perspective.

    Speculation has increasingly shaped global markets since the 1980s, as investors discovered that hype can generate greater returns than underlying business performance. This dynamic fuelled a series of boom-and-bust cycles — from the dot-com era to cryptocurrencies, NFTs and now AI — with AI investment currently driving much of the recent growth in the S&P 500. Yet, like previous speculative waves, signs suggest the AI surge may also be vulnerable to correction, even as investors begin searching for the next trend to replace it.

  • ….. More in depth; AI in design

    One thing that has constantly intrigued me, throughout studying fashion design in my BA then going on to be a fashion developer in London and Hong Kong, and even analysing trends in my MSc in business, was what is woke in a population. That concerns the “what?”… but my pest career focussed more on the “how”?.

    Looking at the current “what,” this post focuses on a topic that particularly interests me: what is trending globally right now—AI. A strong example of this intersection between technology, fashion, and design is L’Oréal’s partnership with IBM. By integrating AI into beauty innovation, the collaboration enables more personalised, inclusive, and sustainable products, showing how technology can quietly enhance design and creative expression rather than overshadow it.

    IBM and L’Oréal are exploring how AI can transform innovation. Using IBM Watson X, they’re developing AI assistants that simulate complex scenarios—originally for education, like classroom interactions—but for L’Oréal, the focus is on cosmetics. Custom AI models can help researchers design products faster, more creatively, and more sustainably.

    Take lipstick as an example. Traditionally, it’s made in two stages: a highly opaque base delivers colour and a matte finish but feels dry and uncomfortable, followed by a second layer to improve wearability. The difference between products like Super Stay 24 and Mad Ink lies not in longevity—they both last—but in comfort. Mad Ink avoids the need for constant reapplication thanks to careful formulation.

    L’Oréal has always been a science-driven company. Early liquid lipsticks in the 1930s were little more than stains; later formulas were heavier and less convenient. Over decades, L’Oréal’s chemists refined these products through trial and error, testing everything from colour and texture to durability under extreme conditions. Every lipstick is essentially a piece of technology, backed by millions of data points.

    The collaboration with IBM, launched in early 2024, brings together two century-old innovators with strong scientific cultures. IBM works directly inside L’Oréal labs to understand researchers’ needs, creating custom AI models tailored to the company’s unique data. Unlike general-purpose AI, these models are smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient, allowing L’Oréal to leverage decades of research in a usable, targeted, and transparent way.

    The potential impact is huge. AI can accelerate product development, expand creative possibilities, and make innovation more sustainable. By narrowing the gap between imagination and reality, it enables breakthroughs that were previously difficult or impossible. This approach isn’t limited to cosmetics—similar AI-driven strategies could help clothing companies fast-track design and fabric development, processing vast datasets and testing countless scenarios to support designers’ judgment.

    L’Oréal also monitors early signals from fashion and social media to anticipate emerging trends, ensuring products meet both current demand and future tastes. Combining this with AI, the company is redefining what’s possible in beauty, showing how data, science, and technology can converge to drive innovation.

    From decades of research to cutting-edge AI, L’Oréal is not just a cosmetics company—it’s a beauty data powerhouse, using technology to turn ideas into reality faster, smarter, and more sustainably than ever.

  • Fashion Origins – M43

    The M43 Jacket was introduced by the U.S. Army in 1943, during a time of intensified fighting and rapid advances in transportation. Designed for a global war fought across many climates, it served as an all-weather combat jacket made from durable cotton sateen (a material used when I was in the development team for VB), featuring four large pockets, a drawstring waist, and an optional liner and hood.

    First issued to airborne troops in 1944, the M43 quickly proved successful, shaping the design of later field jackets and directly influencing the development of the M51 and eventually the M65 (see the name collision)….

    The M43 evolved from smaller, less accommodating early patterns to a larger, more versatile design with a removable liner. Its improvements influenced the M51, which added a zipper-front, greater durability, and enhanced functionality, shaping future U.S. field jackets.

    The M43 is prized for its durability and historical importance.

  • Black Swan x SWT

    The SWT sector is inherently exposed to Black Swan dynamics because it sits at the intersection of fast-moving tech, shifting consumer behaviour, and fashion cycles.

    Black Swan events (in wearables) can:

    Create instant category leaders.

    Single unexpected breakthroughs; like a new AR display,

    Battery chemistry.

    AI-native eyewear (that can suddenly redefine the market and push one product to the front).

    Make existing products obsolete very quickly …. “Best-in-class” devices can be dethroned instantly when a competitor releases a surprising features. Radically better optics, double the battery life, or a new use-case that shifts what consumers expect.

    And in my area of specialism, they can also accelerate fashion–tech convergence. When a luxury brand releases a wearable that unexpectedly resonates culturally, it can pull the entire market toward lifestyle-led design. This can show how culture can shift faster than any forecast.

  • Im An Unexpected Target Market ….Christian Louboutin

    …. Loving my red solled shoes.

    I bought a pair of Christian Louboutin trainers. I’m a global size 6, but the only pair in store was a size 5. I wanted them so badly that I convinced myself they fit and bought them anyway.

    Until they didn’t. So my mission of stretching them began.

    Stage 1: Thick socks on, my pride is totally swallowed. I’m shuffling around the house in shoes that are too small — and looking extra foolish, given I’ve only just started walking again. The things we do for love… and good footwear.

    Step 2: I should’ve gone to a cobbler first, but being cheap, I tried other methods. When I finally took them in, they could only stretch the shoes half a size — but for a good price, so I agreed. When I picked them up, they already felt more wearable.

    Step 3: When I picked them up, I also bought a stretch spray out of pure paranoia. Now, every time I wear them, I give them a quick spritz.

    Step 4: With full commitment, wear them nonstop around the house, on short walks, whenever I can. Slowly, they’ve eased up and stretched just enough to be wearable. Amazing what a bit of persistence can do.

    Step 5: Look fabulous, curating the perfect outfit straight from my wardrobe.

    And after a while, they stopp being excruciating. I used plasters at first, but now they’ve stretched enough. That’s the power of love, determination, pride, and branding. The perfect smart-casual, comfortable, and well loved.

    …recognisable only to the fashion-minded who catch the nuance.

    (Tip: just get the correct size in the first place.)

  • A Man in Uniform

    It’s often assumed—usually about men—that they don’t care about fashion or how they look. But they do care; they just frame it differently. What’s often described as “not caring” is really a focus on utility, durability, and function over aesthetics. Think of proud outdoorsmen, tradesmen, or soldiers: fashion, for them, is about whether something works.

    At first glance, you’d expect that children or perhaps the military would be the groups least concerned with appearance, prioritising pure function instead. Yet speak to any experienced quartermaster and they’d disagree immediately. The look of a garment—specifically, a uniform—is far more important than most people realise. Its visual design heavily influences acceptance, morale, and identity. If a soldier doesn’t actually want to wear it, if it feels awkward, ugly, or wrong, then its effectiveness is undermined long before it’s tested in the field. Good design in the military isn’t just about protection or practicality; it’s about creating something that people choose to wear with pride

  • Georges Doriot

    confronted the design challenge of taking a white jacket that first emerged during World War I and adapting it for a university context, ensuring it functioned reliably across all environments and at all times.

    By taking on this task, rather than reinventing what had already been done elsewhere, Doriot approached the problem from first principles. He brought together insights from multiple industries, grounding the entire project in scientific testing. His design process was methodical and empirical: he consulted climatologists, physiologists, and geographers to determine the most effective approach for outfitting what would become a fighting force of 12 million people.

    Through this extensive collaboration, significant advancements emerged across the clothing industry—every sector of industry was, in some way, redirected toward supporting the war effort.

  • The Black Swan Effect

    The Black Swan effect refers to rare, unexpected events that have huge impacts, and only seem obvious in hindsight. It’s like the butterfly effect; small or unpredictable triggers lead to dramatic, far-reaching consequences.

    In short, it explains how humans underestimate the likelihood of extreme situations, but rely heavily on past data.

    Important attributes include unpredictability; nothing in the past clearly points defined the future.

    It concludes to really big consequences; PESTLE (as learned in my MSc: Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental) or cultural. It’s only afterwards when it becomes obvious and should have been expected.

    Black Swanevents can instantly transform entire industries, markets, technologies, and even society itself.