Levi’s and Google launch new smart denim jacket
Smart Textiles
Levi’s jacket with Jacquard by Google debuts
Designed for the urban commuter, Jacquard technology woven into this Levi’s jacket lets the wearer access their music, navigation, and communication.
13th October 2017
Innovation in Textiles
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San Francisco, CA
The Levi’s Commuter Trucker Jacket with Jacquard by Google has debuted last month and is now available online, as well as in select Levi’s stores in Santa Monica; Chicago; New York; and San Francisco.
Designed for the urban commuter, Jacquard technology woven into this Levi’s jacket lets the wearer access their music, navigation, and communication, such as texts and calls, with the swipe of their sleeve.
Digital connectivity is provided through the Jacquard snap tag attached to the jacket’s cuff. When the jacket detects your gesture, the tag sends a signal wirelessly to your phone. The jacket integrates with the Jacquard app for your mobile phone, which allows you to customise your experience – whether playing or pausing a song or getting the ETA on your destination, the company explains.
“As we see it, this isn’t just about technology for technology’s sake – it’s about addressing a real need for our consumers on the go,” said Paul Dillinger, vice president of global product innovation for Levi Strauss & Co. “This garment allows cyclists to literally navigate their rides, and manage other simple tasks, while never having to take their eyes off the road. That, to me, is the true triumph of this jacket.”
Interactivity and connectivity
The Levi’s brand is Google ATAP’s first partner with Jacquard. Jacquard by Google enables designers like the Levi’s brand to embed digital interactivity and connectivity into apparel as part of their natural design process, allowing technology to become a new ingredient for their creative expression.
“Connectivity, interactivity and computation rapidly expands from screens into the real world, making things that we use, love and wear everyday smarter, by reflecting our digital lifestyles and connecting us to the most important services and information at all times,” commented Ivan Poupyrev, who is leading Jacquard platform development at Google ATAP.
“The jacket we developed with Levi’s is the first example of this emerging world of connected things that becomes possible with Jacquard platform.”
Speaking to global urban commuters
The jacket comes replete with retro reflective accents, stretch fabric in the shoulder, openings in the back for ventilation, and a dropped hem in the back. Like all products in the Levi’s Commuter line, the trucker is intended to solve real world problems. “Originally conceived with the urban cyclist in mind, today’s Commuter collection speaks to all global urban commuters, offering functionality, performance and purposeful style/design,” says the company.
The Levi’s Commuter Trucker Jacket with Jacquard by Google is available for purchase in select stores, including Kinfolk in Brooklyn, New York; Fred Segal in Hollywood; and Concepts in Boston.
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