A ‘UV wearable’ is a stick-on sensor that tracks sun exposure, lowering the risk of skin cancer by raising personal awareness around how much sun is too much. L’Oreal’s technology incubator teamed up with Fuseproject to create the first product, My UV Patch launched in 2016. Now the next product is being launched, called UV Sense. UV Sense is the world’s first battery-free UV wearable, connecting to an app where personalised information and advice on sun exposure can be easily accessed.

My UV Patch is comprised of a series of tiles with photoreactive dyes that respond to UV rays, set against neutral reference points. Fuseproject was challenged to design a patch that followed these technical constrains, while designing new styles as body ornaments. By challenging the technical elements and shrinking them, we developed an aesthetic that could be directed into any number of stylistic collections. Working around the hand, arm, and wrist, we established a core collection that truly marries fashion with function; the My UV Patch redesign is sophisticated and discreet, a take on modern jewelry, with bold architecture and tonality.

UV Sense is an even smaller, dome-based sensor, that fits directly on a thumbnail, or an accessory like sunglasses. Subtle patterns laid directly over the outer shell create playful and iconic expressions similar to nail-art, with clear versions for those who prefer simplicity. A miniscule window in the shell allows for light to enter; data collected and stored is then transferred directly to the mobile app through an NFC chip

By Kristina de Verdier on 1 February, 2018 In Design, fuseproject, Health, product, tech, wearable

The Swedish company CAKE’s new invention Kalk, is a new kind of electric off-road motorbike, a combination of motorcycle and bicycle with electric drive. CAKE’s mission is to speed up the journey towards a zero emission society, while enhancing excitement and fun. All components are made from scratch to optimize the riding performance in this new category. Every little detail is elaborated for perfection, while considering the perspectives of sustainability. The motorbikes are light and silent with a range of 50 miles.

By Kristina de Verdier on 30 January, 2018 In Design, motorbike, product, sustainability

This new collaboration will push boundaries in fabric innovation and usher in the next generation of cutting-edge textiles. Bolt Threads engineers fibers from scratch based on proteins found in nature, and then develops cleaner, closed-loop processes for manufacturing, using green chemistry practices.  Exemplified in the collaboration with Stella McCartney, Bolt Threads is able to create silk using yeast, making the textile vegan-friendly; staying true to the designer’s vegetarian philosophy. Solution oriented, this process reduces pollution, creates long-term sustainability, and always remains cruelty-free.

The material is the result of seven years of research and design in a lab. At the molecular level it is spider silk made by human hands. A big team of scientists, engineers, technicians and designers, have developed a way to closely mimic silk created in nature by producing a fiber from corn syrup that was fed to a yeast fermentation. Once the protein is harvested and purified into a powder, it is wet spun into fibres and twisted into yarns.

The first piece from the partnership will be a one-off gold dress made from Bolt Threads’ signature “spider silk”. It will feature in an upcoming exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art called Items: Is Fashion Modern?

By Kristina de Verdier on 8 January, 2018 In Design, fashion, Innovation, Material, product, sustainable

Lip Rescue by Oriental Princess. A product designed to protect women in Thailand from violence. Following statistics showing that every 20 seconds, a woman is a victim of violence, the Thai beauty brand’s lipstick can also be used as a whistle to alert people nearby. Blowing on the safety whistle-style packaging emits a sound of up to 120 decibels – which can be heard 100 meters away, enabling women to call for help.

By Kristina de Verdier on 10 January, 2017 In Lipstick, packaging, product, safety