We all know the iPhone with it’s application variety can control almost anything imaginable. So it was only a matter of time that creative minds made the link to clothing.

Artistic designer Alexander Reeder in collaboration with Yutaka Takahashi and Junpei Wada link up the iPhone with a jacket that can contain various modules such as an 8×8 LED matrix display on the back.

The iPhone loaded with an application can then turn the back of the jacket into your very personal message board to scroll your Twitter feeds, show your mood status or visualize the beat of your song you are listening.

Another module in the making is interesting for bikers, a flip of the wrist will illuminate the wrist area indicating your left or right turn. I could very well imagine some sort of breaking lights in the jacket as the iPhone with the integrated accelerometer can detect when you hit the breaks on the bike.

As far as I can see on Alexander’s Web site the iPhone controlled jackets will be produced and launched later this year, so this is not a design concept and looks like this is going to be commercially available in time for Christmas.

Watch the video below to get an idea how the ‘Vanilla Series’ of iPhone jackets will work.

This seems to be the first clothing item that does not control the iPhone like the iPod/i{hone enabled jackets we have seen in the past with textile keypads on the sleeve but these Vanilla Jackets are controlled by an iPhone.

I see this as another interesting step towards more interactive clothing.

[via: Fashioning Technology]

Action-sport apparel brand Sessions teamed up again with Skullcandy to continue it’s presents in the interactive garment segment with the launch of the Winter ’09 iPod ready jacket collection.

The Foxtrot Herringbone Skullcandy Jacket for men features a military construction with urban styling – gorgeous looking jacket for action pure and available via this online store for $249.95

The second style in the new collection is the SSC CO-OP Jacket, a waterproof shell with fully taped seams to prevent moisture from getting in.

Coming in the color schemes of White Camo and Black Camo, the SSC CO-OP Jacket for men will be the most eye catching, interactive gear on and off the snowy mountains. Available now for $173.97 via this online store.

Sessions has also for the Ladies a iPod enabled/controlling jacket in store for the coming winter season, the Lush Avery Plaid Skullcandy with fixed hood trimmed with faux fur, leather tabs and brass four hole buttons. Available at this online store for $169.-

The interactive jacket collection from Sessions comes with Skullcandy’s soft keypad and audio system for iPod control. Your soundtracks on the iPod, which is safely stored and protected inside the jacket, can be easily controlled via the integrated soft keypad on the sleeve.

Classified as ‘somewhat relevant’ to our blog topic, the 1970′s Telephone Bag from laPochette is just too cute to pass over once it popped up on my radar screen.

Duped as the ‘first mobile phone ever’ the Telephone Bag has been around presumably since the 1970s but I could not find a confirmation on that statement.

What I can read from the feature list is: the bag has a fully functional phone integrated with and old fashion hand receiver. Coming from the ’70s I think this telephone bag has to be connected to a wall socket, at least I could not find a pointer to cellphone connectivity.

Fast forward to 2009 my guess is it would be fairly simple to make this retro telephone bag working with a cellphone while keeping the original design.

With such upgrade, the ladies will have a really unique cellphone bag where even the iPhone can not compete with in terms of style and classiness.

This original Telephone Bag can be ordered via this link for a classy $295.- in the colors red or black. Style is timeless and priceless.

Metallica, the biggest selling heavy metal band in the world is the latest example of how music artist’s embrace wearable technologies joining the likes of Madonna, Bono, Kanye West or OK GO to name a few.

A partnership between Metallica and Sessions, a leading snowboard and action sports company selling high-performance snowboard apparel and accessories for the youth-driven sports segment resulted in the making off the limited edition Metallica M4 Jacket equipped with a speaker/amp system from Skullcandy, which includes musically inspired designs from the most popular heavy metal band of all time.

The Metallica M4 jacket comes with a built in pair of speakers in the hood, an amplifier and illuminated custom control panel on the outer sleeve. It all plugs in to your iPod or iPhone which are safely tucked away in a waterproof pocket.

Available in August in a limited edition of only 800 units for a retail price of $330.- I haven’t found an online store having the M4, it looks like the only way to get hands on one of these jackets is to be member of the Metallica Club.

The entertainment industry has been always on the forefront when it comes to new styles, new technologies (or both) by setting the direction where the future trends especially in fashion will go. Seeing the recent increase in technological enhanced stage-wear and now in artist branded consumer products, this is setting a clear signal of greater things to come to our (interactive) outfit of 2010 and beyond.

We haven’t covered smart, interactive gloves for a while but this doesn’t mean there are no new concepts and products surfacing on a regular basis. Judging on the latest releases, these gloves are getting smarter with each version.

The latest and most advanced smart glove is the AcceleGlove from AnthroTronix.

The AcceleGlove has an accelerometer in each finger allowing it to track any and every move your hand is making in the three dimensional space. The glove is connected via a USB cord to a computer which contains the software doing the heavy lifting in interpreting the 3D movement to control games, robotic hands or your word processing if you wish.

AnthroTronix is shipping with the AcceleGlove a disk containing the open source SDK that allows anyone writing software to control virtually anything.

One glove including the SDK and USB cable goes for $499.-, if you want to have a pair of gloves you need to shell out $998.-

Another smart glove is the Peregrine glove recently unveiled during the E3 and announced to be release in late fall 2009 at a $129.- price point.

The Peregrine is cheaper as it can not navigate our three dimensional world but it can recognize around 30 gestures (touching a finger to thumb, or finger to palm, for example), is connected via USB port to a computer to control it like a mouse just with a lot more hot-keys.

For some applications like gaming or in professional areas where hand input is helpful or for therapeutical applications during recovery of injuries, interactive, smart gloves do have a great value by improving performance, productivity and enjoyment.

Using smart, interactive gloves as input devices to control a cellphone or MP3 player or as text input …. I seriously question such products.

[Popular Science via OhGizmo!]

Interactive Fashion specialist Killa is holding up with our informed forecast last October to launch a firework of cool and gorgeous looking interactive apparel in 2009.

The latest collection we got work off – and some first photos – is called ‘SWITCH‘ making it extremely chick to switch your iPod/iPhone or other personal device this summer.

The softness of the hoodies which will come very cozy on cooler summer evenings utilizes fully the softness of QIO Systems e-textile control buttons which easily follow the soft contours of the body.

The PANiQ modular system allows you to purchase from a selection of different functions such as iPod, Bluetooth or color matching earphones.

the SWITCH hoodies which are made in Vancouver, Canada, will come soon to online shops and retail stores across Canada in different color ways and pinstripe styles.

We will post an update as soon as we see these gorgeous looking SWITCH (me on) hoodies hitting the stores.

Great news for owner of interactive clothing and bags fitted with the Fibretronic CONNECTED-wear system. A brand new module is on it’s way to the stores promising great value for a few bucks.

The new IPLX module connects via the headphone connector to the iPod and iPhone and not via the dock connector.

To our knowledge, this is the first iPod controlling interactive fashion module using the more conveniently connectable headphone connector to hook up your shine Apple devices to your cool jackets and bags.

The IPLX iPod Controller operates the usual Play/Pause, Rewind, Fast Forward, Volume Up and Volume Down functions and works nicely with all new generation iPods and iPhones up to the latest and button less Shuffle.

Another sweetener of this new module is the price: it will cost around US$10.- less than the predecessor module IP30, leading to a retail price of around US$15.-

Here is a complete list of iPod and iPhones the IPLX iPod Controller is compatible: iPod Classic 120GB, iPod nano 4th generation, iPod touch 2nd generation, iPod shuffle 3rd generation, iPhone and iPhone 3G.

We will post an update when the IPLX module is hitting the online shops but in the meantime you might want to go shopping here or here or here for a cool, interactive jacket for you and your iPod/iPhone.

During the recently held Vancouver Fashion Week one of the most advanced interactive fashion brands, KILLA put up an exiting presentation where models took over the runway break dancing, flipping, and doing the worm in their interactive hip-hop apparel.

KILLA uses the advanced eSystem interactive garment solution from QIO Systems which allows the wearer to access and control electronic devices through a special ‘smart textile pad’ on the sleeve.

The line offers a wide range of modules that allow the customer to select a mix of functionalities for his/her KILLA outfit, depending on which cell phones and MP3 players they own. It even works with Bluetooth.

The Fall/Winter ’09 collection from KILLA with it’s seamless integration of the e-textile controls into lightweight garments shows how the next generation of urban street wear combines function with a touch of coolness, establishing itself as a leader in the interactive fashion domain by offering a great variety of styles and designs for your next, ‘über cool’ outfit.

click on images for larger view

Former Italian Davis Cup Champion Sergio Tacchini launched Moda Milano in 2007 as a premium elitist range for sports apparel and footwear inspired by the 80′s fashion style.

The Catania Retro Track-top iPod Jacket with Embroidered Sergio Tacchini logo on the chest, front zip fastening, ribbed collar, cuffs and hem and an outer shell  with two forms of polyester fabric give it an exclusive, stylish look.

Fibretronic‘s soft, low profile control element in the sleeve blend’s seamlessly into the soft material and style of the Catania track jacket, making it easy to control the music while keeping the iPod safely out from rain, dust and other harmful environmental elements.

The jacket is bundled with Fibretronic’s IP30 iPod control module but is compatible with the full range of Connected-wear modules.

The Catania Retro Track-top iPod Jacket is a limited edition release so it might not be available for a long time. You could pick up one via this online store for £63.71 (around $91.00)

I am a sucker for Italian design and the MODA MILANO iPod Jacket is no exception on how beautiful classy fashion design can be.

Republic, a UK high street retail chain launched last year under their hip and hot style brand ‘Crafted‘ the iPod Bomber jacket constructed with metallic yarn to give it a unique crinkled appearance and designed for the urban streetwear market, cool and gorgeous looking.

The jacket uses Fibretronic’s ‘ConnectedWear‘ audio control technology and works with all iPod models including the iPod touch and iPhones (the last one in ‘airplane mode’).

When launched last year the retail price was £54.99 ($109.40), a reasonable price for a jacket like this but Republic has it on sale now for £15.00 ($21.00) but available only in size XL. Great news and big saving if XL is your size.

What a huge bargain, too bad it’s only in XL size and very limited stock. So if you are one of the big boys, you have the great opportunity to get your interactive iPod jacket for almost free.