HP Keeps Fashion Moving Forward

HP has been on my radar as a tech company to watch in terms collaboration with the fashion industry for a few years now.

Not only did HP give up and coming designers on Project Runway more access to their design tools during a few seasons of the show, but the tech giant also collaborated with fashion designer Vivienne Tam during New York Fashion Week Spring 2009 show to create the HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Laptop dubbed the “world’s first digital clutch”.

Yet most recently, HP collaborated with Marchesa, a brand known for their beautifully crafted gowns in to-die-for textiles during the fashion label’s appearance at New York Fashion Week Spring 2012.

The other night I was invited to attend an exclusive HP event where I got to learn the details about HP’s collaboration with Marchesa and how the two brands partnered to bring high tech to Marchesa’s runway show after party. Like I did last week at the VIP event, attendees of Marchesa’s party had a chance to see the result of the collaboration called  “tech art”. Like online multimedia shows, one design looks very Gothic with black Swarovski crystals dotted across the top of a black lid, and one more fit for a princess with its sparkly silver on silver design.

Party goers also we also the first to experience HP’s new Photon Engine solution. Viewers donned special glasses and then looked upon a wall that used an HP Z800 Workstation and multiple projectors to see 3D images of designs from the Marchesa runway show they just watched life.

The perks? The ability to see Marchesa’s designs up close, and for a longer amount of time. As anyone who’s attended a fashion show can attest to, models strutting on the runway move so fast it can be hard to see small details of each design they wear. And after a show, clothing can usually been seen via printed lookbook or on a live model. This 3D technology lets editors and enthusiasts have a second chance look at the designs they just saw go down the runway live.

Ultimately, the Photon Engine solution can be used to view 2D video, content from the web, photos, and print documents all on one surface. While only available in the US, this solution might be useful for industries outside of fashion as well, like the medical, sports, and entertainment industries. Even an architectural firm or urban planning committee could very well utilize this technology.