Keeping the flame alive in a long-distance relationship is hard work. But the sacrifices make pay off when the two of you meet and finally get to hold hands, feel the partner’s perfume, or hug each other. Physical contact increases intimacy in your relationship. Yes, such couples have the time of their life when they meet but they agree that keeping a long-distance relationship is quite a challenge. And the pandemic makes it even harder.
The key to making it through the pandemic is communication; either verbal or nonverbal. You can video call each other, send messages, or play online games. God, but you would give anything just to feel your partner’s touch, right? What would you say if we tell you that this is actually possible, even though you are miles and miles apart? All you need is an H&M jacket and an app to control the piece of garment.
The blue, denim jacket that we are talking about is part of the “Wearable Tech Collection” and is launched by H&M LAB Germany. The group, in partnership with the Berlin-based start-up Boltware, developed a technology that uses fashion to transfer emotions. And in times of social distancing, the “Wearable Love‘s” centerpiece, the jacket, seems to be exactly what we all need. “We combine our denim jacket with innovative technology so you can feel your loved ones‘ touch as if they were with you,” the specialists at Boltware say.
The denim coat allows the user to send and receive touch. Yet, the process is only available to people that you are close with. Every touch that you feel is addressed to you only and no one from the outside can see what’s going on. Well, they will surely notice that big smile on your face.
To test the market potential of the newly-designed jacket, H&M LAB Germany reached out to agency Wynken Blynken & Nod with the simple request of creating a visual show that expresses the users’ feelings while proudly wearing it. “We are very pleased about the cooperation with Wynken Blynken & Nod. They have captured the zeitgeist of the product and made this innovation from H&M LAB tangible with all its aspects of fashion and technology,” says Thorsten Mindermann, Managing Director of H&M Germany.
The film was directed by Wolf & Lamm in cooperation with film production company Element-E on 35mm and focuses on a different kind of love story. Although everything happens from a distance, what the couple in the video feels is profound, thanks to the sensors embedded in the jacket. It all starts with a phone conversation between the two, but everything changes into a personal dance triggered by the H&M technology.
Flexible sensors and tactile elements are incorporated into the shoulder sections of the jacket. Via an app, users can manipulate the fashion item which transforms the signals it receives into touching. The app, currently in beta, welcomes you with a registration code that allows you to connect with the jacket. Once you create your profile, you can send an invitation to your significant other, friends, and family members, asking them to join you via love lists. You can also customize touch patterns in your profile that you can send to the jacket worn by your dearest ones. The technology allows you to show others that you think about them, regardless of where you are.
Credits:
Client: H&M Lab Germany
Agency: Wynken Blynken & Nod