Chromat Bionic Bodies:
Merging Fashion and Technology

When you think technological innovation has gone above and beyond anything you can comprehend, wearable technology brings it back to a human level. Becca McCharen, the designer behind the fashion label Chromat, is at the forefront of a merge in fashion and technology. Apart from being hi-tech and sophisticated, McCharen’s garments serve as structural experiments for the body, revealing the human desire for clothes that transcend basic needs. 

Technological advancement has been at the core of Chromat’s foundation from the beginning. McCharen’s background in architecture and urban design coupled with her incredible talent for garment design gave rise to this forward-thinking label, which has enabled women to structurally change the way they wear clothes. With a 3D component recently incorporated more and more in the fashion world, we can now start to become accustomed to the presence of technology in our wardrobes. Clothing no longer has to be 2 dimensional.

Just as fashion and technology’s merge in the beginning stages of development, 3D image is also rendering as a beta project as Chromat partners up with new technologies such as Lytro (used to shoot Chromat’s lookbook). Lytro Illum is introducing Light Field Photography to the fashion world and paving the way for an immersive brand of storytelling, bringing McCharen’s vision to life in multiple dimensions. Visuals as a whole are changing, thanks to hologram technology and 3d modeling.

The use of non-traditional materials and new construction techniques give lead to a new conceptualization of garments. “Our use of technology continues to evolve each season. We have employed the use of wearable semi-conductor light source technology as decorative elements to adorn traditional sculptures of the body” says McCharen. 

Chromat’s newest collection aims to show that technology can also be used to read the body’s data; creating clothing that will change the reality of the body forever. Rather than remaining a complex idea, Chromat is turning technology into something visible, tangible and wearable. Have you ever thought about downloading an outfit? 

The merging of fashion and technology has just begun. Since clothing can now track a set of information generated by the body, anticipating different uses for what used to be a simple design, the way women feel about themselves can also change. According to McCharen, “women always say Chromat pieces make them feel powerful and strong. I’m proud that Chromat garments encourage the wearer to be the strongest, most powerful version of themselves.” And this is just the beginning. Take a peak at Chromat’s SS15 collection.

chromat ss lookbook
chromat ss lookbook

chromat ss lookbook scaled

Written by Jade Moyano

Photography by Christine Hahn


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