Tasteful Techy Accessories That Won't Leave You Looking Like A TRON Extra

In our recent interview with high-tech designer Anouk Wipprecht, who was responsible for creating The Black Eyed Peas’ superbowl outfits, we talked about how wearable technology will become more integrated into the mass market as electronic components become less expensive, and more celebrities and role models continue to flaunt them. As of now, high-tech fashion is still mostly seen on stage because “when you're attending a club in a solar powered illuminated dress that monitors your body, it might be a little bit awkward,” says Wipprecht.

For those who want to hop on the tech-enhanced bandwagon and lead the trendsetting pack, the best way start incorporating wearable tech into your everyday look is through a subtle accessory blended with more traditional pieces from your wardrobe. There’s a fine line between the tacky and tasteful, but here are three of our favorite examples of techy accessories that are flashy without being uncouth.

David Bizer: Waveform Necklace

This spin on the classic beaded necklace is custom created from a sound recording. The laser-cut beads are cut to resemble the wavelength of the said lyric or audio message. To construct, Bizer creates screen shots of the waveforms and then overlays the stencils of the beads in Photoshop before sending the shapes through a laser cutter. Bider says shorter and more vocal samples look better, and we think this is a great way to subtly wear your favorite tune, but we can’t promise it won’t get stuck in your head.

Naim Josefi and Souzan Youssouf: The Melonia Shoe

Two design students in Stockholm are quickly solving the problem of ill-fitting footwear by creating a prototype for shoes that are custom fit to your feet. As outlined in the video above, the shape of your foot is scanned and a 3D model is generated in Rhino to fit each line and curve of your foot. The file is then sent to a 3D printer and the shoes are printed layer by layer from sustainable nylon. While the ‘Gaga-esque’ stiletto is pretty to look at and is probably somewhat comfortable since it’s custom-fit to your foot, we’re much more intrigued with the idea of printed-to-fit footwear becoming a norm.

Robert Dabi: Zero Watch

This timepiece lies in the gray area between analog and digital, and is unlike one we’ve ever seen before. The multi-colored monochromatic watches don’t feature any hands or numerals rather, two concentric circles reveal the time of day—the outer circle representing the minutes and the inner circle, the hours. With the increasing amount of personal electronics rendering the watch obsolete, this accessory promotes a return to the traditional wrist accessory by using a unique design that allows the watch to act as a functional piece of art.