Neviano designer Marie Spinali provides insight on how to create a successful smart garment at the start of an important year for the smart textiles industry. Joe Link reports.
A surge in the growth of the smart textiles industry is predicted this year due to a growing number of companies and products entering the market – which will increase public awareness and reduce costs, analysts claim.
The Neviano swimwear technology is connected to an Android and iOS compatible app
To achieve such a high level of credibility, Spinali Design’s CEO, Marie Spinali, explains that she “didn’t get worked up about the evolution of the product, but instead focused on what people need.” Spinali adds: “Think of the future and after that think about the product.”
Healthcare is a common focus for smart garments. This is showcased in the tech-infused bandage Datatextile – Spinali Design’s latest smart textile product which is able to detect infection, the company claims. Born from the success of Neviano, Datatextile was created by Spinali Design in collaboration with the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research, Biomaterials and Bionegineering Unit (INSERM). Spinali says: “The bandage is connected to ensure a continuous monitoring of scarring tissue over a wound, which alerts of and detects infection, while enabling health professionals to offer a more reliable timeline for recovery.”
Fashion designer and tech enthusiast Marie Spinali is responsible for the Neviano smart bikini
Meanwhile, due to the misuse of antibiotics, some harmful bacteria have become resistant to the medication. To ease this threat, Datatextile consists of antimicrobial agents. In addition to combating the dangers posed by micro-organisms, antimicrobials have been proven to stimulate the human immune system and increase recovery time. The bandage is equipped with an electronic button which links the e-textile product to a smart phone application where data gathered by the bandage can be viewed. The smart bandage will be marketed as a preventative product, according to Spinali Design, which will be available in the fourth quarter of the year priced between €20 and €30.
The first Neviano range was launched in 2015 followed by a second collection last year
Neviano
Similarly, Neviano is targeted at the health conscious. The bikini achieves smart status by alerting the wearer that they need to apply sun cream, which helps prevent sunburn, a common cause of skin cancer. “The bikini effectively uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse a situation so that the user doesn’t have to; in this instance, UV rays,” says Spinali. “The prevention of UV-related health problems is the ultimate aim and thus the Neviano system is gathering significant interest from dermatologists.”
The French fashion designer and tech enthusiast devised the idea for the bikini when she holidayed in Italy in 2014, observing that very few people took adequate precautions to protect themselves against UV rays. Spinali continues: “Only 37% of sunscreen users know the adequate amount of sunscreen to apply. Only 5% know the definition of a UV index and 10% understand the ABCDE rule to analyse a mole.
“I wanted to create a product that helps people make better decisions, which helps keep them safe and improves their knowledge on key issues affecting everyone.”
But having a good concept doesn’t always result in a successful product. Smart wearables have traditionally fallen short on three fundamentals: aesthetics, reliability and practicality. In order to accommodate innovative technology, products have had to sacrifice appearance. Meanwhile, due to integrated electrical components, several have not been washable. Nevertheless, numerous smart wearables and garments have a short lifespan despite high price tags. In the case of Neviano, Marie Spinali says she “prioritised both the aesthetics and performance of the bikini.”
Neviano is linked to an app that is compatible with iOS and Android devices, meaning Neviano has the capacity to connect an entire family, according to the company. Despite targeting the female demographic, Spinali has also created swimwear for both men and children – which possesses similar abilities. Regarding Neviano, she states that there is indeed more to the connected swimwear than the signature Cream Alert function. She adds: “There is a Valentine feature which alerts a user that their spouse needs to re-apply sun cream five minutes before the partner requiring it, and the Alert Remote function for the Neviano Child informs parents and guardians when an infant ventures more than 50m away.”
However, Spinali Design has also dipped its toe into the fashion industry. In 2016, the company introduced a range of connected dresses, before developing a smart denim collection a year later. But Spinali Design returned to its roots in 2018 by launching a new and updated Neviano range.
Like health and wellbeing, sustainability is a key consideration for Spinali, she says: “For the connected dresses we have a function which informs the user when the dress has not been used for a long time. This is good for both the environment and garment production. We hope this technology will help to reduce a vast quantity of items which are discarded having been worn just once or twice. An unsustainable amount of fabric is going to landfill and measures need to be taken to prevent this. Hopefully smart garments can be used to combat this issue further in the future.”
Named The Pleasure Dress, it contains a sensor which is applied in the lower right segment of the garment, but it also possesses several other functions. Spinali says: “It communicates with acquaintances via the same iOS and Android app used for Neviano, it can reassure loved ones through a simple press of the sensor, will alert the user of new fashion tips and stores information about when and where the garment was last worn. The list goes on.”
Meanwhile, Spinali Design says its smart jeans also have built-in sensors, two in fact, which can be found on the waist line. The jeans can help the user navigate around a new city by vibrating down the right or left leg, depending on what way they need to turn, or help them communicate in a unique way around the office with customisable vibrations. The system is also programmed to inform the wearer if they are running late for an appointment. The company adds that the jeans act as a technological buffer, because they can be programmed to inform the user of only the most important notifications on their phone. To preserve battery life, the jeans are programmed to enter sleep mode when they are not being worn and are clever enough to stay in this mode during a wash cycle, despite the fact that they operate by detecting motion, the company adds.
But predictably, unique products, which aid healthcare and the environment, come at a cost – the Neviano 2 is priced at more than €300, in part because one bikini takes five hours to manufacture. However, unlike the debut collection, the sensor in Neviano 2 is integrated into the fabric and is not a detachable device, making the garment more user friendly and practical. Marie Spinali says: “Despite the fact that the sensor is integrated within the fabric itself, washability has not been sacrificed and reliability has been improved. Neviano 2 is usable for more than 2,000 hours, equivalent to almost 300 days of use.”
The bikini has received interest across the globe – its biggest markets include the US, Europe, Korea and Japan – but due to the garment’s complexity and price, it cannot be purchased from popular online and high-street retailers. Consequently, Neviano will not be exposed to the mass market, which is preventing the product, and many others like it, from becoming mainstream.
But thanks to more companies entering the smart textiles market, including the likes of tech and fashion giants Levi’s and Google, it is expected that the reliability and performance of the products will improve alongside a price drop as the cost of the parts and its manufacture come down. Currently public opinion suggests smart clothing is not good value for money, due to questions over their reliability and cyber security. This a reason why the smart wearables market has been in a state of supplier push rather than market pull throughout the last decade. Industry insiders, like Spinali Design, hope this will change in 2019.
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