Iwd 2023

Combining the powerful force of technology with the personal and emotional threads of fashion is currently underrepresented and underappreciated in ...

Imagine the possibilities when women are utilising technology to address global challenges - everything from how to find the perfect pair of jeans to global issues like climate change and domestic violence support. Technology is literally altering the fabric of our fashion ecosystem. As younger generations demand greater representation and for organisations to be diverse, inclusive, and innovative, it has never been more critical for women to engage with tech and harness it to change the world, and clothes, around us. To develop our experience-driven online fit algorithm, Totti, we needed first to understand the needs of women and, secondly, how to design the perfect bra. This sets the scene as to how after over a hundred years of the bra industry, 77% of women in 2023 still report daily discomfort from their bras. There is, however, clearly a shortage of Australian women engaging with tech and leading technology to come up with creative ideas and innovations. And secondly, there is a lack of women in tech roles to create and implement ideas and innovations addressing women’s needs. With the United Nations declaring the 2023 International Women’s Day theme as “Cracking the code: Innovation for a gender-equal future,” there is no more urgent time than now to ensure that women get a seat at the table to harness innovation across Australia. Just like Hadid’s spray-on dress, how can technology facilitate a new wave of women’s experience of fashion (and, importantly, their bras)? Australia’s fashion and textile industry contributes over $27.2 billion to the Australian economy, employing more than 489,000 Australians, with 77% of the workforce being women. Emotionally, bras represent how women see and feel about themselves - there is no greater responsibility than influencing women’s confidence and sense of self. The overwhelming response from women, apart from awe, was the shared realisation that bodies should not squeeze into clothes but that clothes should be created to fit women’s bodies comfortably.