University of the Arts in Philly students Jin Hong, Sebastian Brauer, Ji In Sun, and Jackie Starker have designed a series of “durable, watertight, and wind-resistant garments that are lightweight enough for everyday wear yet easily convertible into tents or sleeping bags that can brave the elements.”

Outlier has released their take on the hoodie – a hi-tech version made of Merino Wool.

Discarding the traditional hook used to attach a clothes hanger to a closet rod, designer Milica Balubdzic uses magnets to do the affixing.

Where some people see crisis, others see opportunity. The three partners of Super Cool Market, a new clothing store in the Vila Madalena neighborhood in São Paulo, fall into the latter category .
The business model (which drew inspiration from the Buffalo Exchange) may not be new, but makes a lot of sense: premium clothes at a reasonable price, which can get even more affordable if you’re willing to trade in some of your own clothes.
For those interested in quick cash: they evaluate what you brought in and pay you immediately- if your clothes are in good condition and reasonably [...]

It’s not a good time for fashion retail.
So, why is it that the owners of Dear 55, a boutique in Manhattans Lower East Side have upgraded and expanded to a much bigger store on nearby Rivington Street, now called Dear Rivington+ ?
The answer is in the +. Owners and designers Moon Rhee and Heyja Do would say that the + represents the addition of menswear and antique furniture designed to complement their existing line of womenswear. Having spent a morning with them at the new store, itʼs obvious that they themselves are the + in the equation.
Dear has had [...]

Artist and clothing designer Charlie Bucket is fascinated by the fluidity of things, literally. On his blog Casual Profanity, he documents his early experiments with futuristic clothing compromised of a system of tubing with liquid circulating throughout. And though he still seems to be working out the logistics, the effect is rather stunning. As a result of the movement, the garments almost appear as though they’re alive.
The following video shows a prototype of his Fluid Sculpture. A larger version will be on display at the upcoming Maker Faire taking place May 30th and 31st.

Fluid Sculpture from Charlie Bucket on Vimeo.

[via [...]

The newest mainstream company to put on its green thumb is Payless, which has just brought organic shoe line zoe&zac to shelves. Following its string of extremely successful designer collaborations over the past few years, hopefully this will be one more step toward mainstreaming ethically sound consumerism.
[via Racked via Fashion Herald]

A team at Goldsmiths College, University of London is working on harnessing static electricity as a power source for a dynamic audio-visual displaying fabric. The research is also helping shed light on using static electricity as an on-demand, renewable energy source.
They explain:
E-Static Shadows‘ is a practise-based experimental research project by designer Dr. Zane Berzina and architect Jackson Tan which creatively explores the speculative and poetic potential of static electricity found in our everyday environments, surrounding our everyday interactions. The aim of the project is to investigate how electrostatic energy could either be effectively utilised or play a part in the [...]

Justin Gargasz’s “Vessel” is a coat with a secret. Tucked inside the back of the jacket is a one person tent. The expandable clothing lets the wearer pop out instant accommodations wherever they may be. Set up is as easy as anchoring the front of the tent to a stationary vertical object, like a tree, and staking out the four corners.
For being such a utilitarian piece of gear, the Vessel cuts a surprisingly inconspicuous profile. The tent section is coiled in such a way that it’s barely noticeable. It’s also reversible, and can be worn as a satchel if temperatures [...]

We spotted this American Apparel ad on the back of a local NYC publication. We suspect it has less to do with a reversal of the company’s provocative campaigns of the past and more to do with the current economic conditions. Foregoing the depiction of a scantily clad model for once, American Apparel instead introduces us to the wholesome image of Willie, “A valued member of our Fabric Control Team.”

With a total of 21 stores in Manhattan and Brooklyn – one location (pictured at right) recently opening up down the street from the PSFK offices – American Apparel could stand [...]

A new law scheduled to go in effect February 10th may limit or prohibit many hand crafted toy makers to continue selling their products. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act will mandate intensive and expensive testing procedures for toys and clothing designed for children under the age of 12. The law is designed to look out for lead and other harmful substances in kids items, but the expense may be too much for small scale operations to bear. Its reported that such third party tests can run as high $50,000 which puts it out of reach for all but the [...]

Kilakutu means “everything” in Swahili, and is the name of an innovative Kenyan company that digs through the massive piles of secondhand clothes in Nairobi’s used clothing markets for source material to use in their own clothing line. This “clothing renewal” service uses pre-used, unique fabrics and clothing from all over the world to create their own take on the classic 1970s Stetson shirt. These remixed-recycled pieces are one of a kind, and are handmade made in small batches. Ownership of these worldly shirts comes with the added benefit of access to exclusive music tracks made for Kilakutu, and matching [...]