The most exciting innovation in apparel isn’t happening on the runway—it’s happening inside the fibers themselves.

In 2017, I joined an MIT institute exploring the frontier of fabrics and fibers. Nearly a decade later, that work continues, and the convergence of advanced, active fibers with traditional textiles feels closer than ever.

Last year, I had the opportunity to sit in on my partner, Dr. Yoel Fink’s, Fabric Computing class at MIT. Watching students light up as they learned a centuries-old craft like knitting alongside the modern language of coding was genuinely inspiring.

Here’s my takeaway:

I don’t believe the future lies in “wearables”—strapping hard devices onto soft materials. The real breakthrough will come when computational fibers are soft, pliable, and seamlessly integrated into textiles themselves. Instead of adding technology to clothing, we’ll simply wear clothes that are technology.

Clothes as software.
Clothes that do remarkable things—without sacrificing comfort, aesthetics, or wearability.

For anyone working in apparel, soft goods, or CPG, this shift reframes the conversation—from gadgets on garments to truly functional textiles. The possibilities, spanning health, performance, and personalization, are enormous.