In 2017, I joined an MIT institute exploring the frontier of fabrics and fibers. Almost a decade later, that work continues—and the marriage of advanced, active fibers with passive textiles feels closer every day.

Last week, I had the chance to sit in on my partner Dr. Yoel Fink’s Fabric Computing class at MIT.

Watching students light up as they learned the old trade of knitting alongside the new art of coding was inspiring.

Here’s my takeaway:

I don’t believe the future lies in "wearables," strapping hard pucks onto soft things.

The real breakthrough will be when computer fibers become soft, pliable, and seamlessly woven into the textiles themselves.

Instead of adding tech onto clothing, we’ll just wear clothes that are tech.

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 changes the conversation from “gadgets on garments” to truly functional textiles.

The possibilities, from health, to performance, to personalization are massive!