As part of this year’s partnership with Fitbit, the CFDA helped select Wei Lin and Mijia Zhang of PH5 from an incredibly talented pool of emerging designers to create a line of knit accessories for the Fitbit Versa™ smartwatch. As part of Fitbit’s ongoing mission to support young designers and engage with the fashion industry (they previously collaborated on accessory lines with Tory Burch and Public School) PH5 and Fitbit worked together to create a collection drawing from PH5’s technological approach to knitwear. (The collection is available as of today on Fitbit.com.) We talked to Lin about the design process, the inspiration behind the collection, and why technology is so fundamental to the PH5 brand.
What elements did you consider when designing the watch accessories?
We wanted to create a series of knit watch accessories that marry fashion forward luxury designs with sports functionality and innovation. Knit is a new category for wearable accessories. It is luxurious and has high perceived value. At the same time, it is comfortable, lightweight and breathable. We want our watch accessories to be comfortable enough that Fitbit’s customers can wear all day and to all kinds of occasions.
How do the watch accessories reflect the PH5 philosophy?
We are always striving to push the boundaries of what knit can be by marrying whimsical designs with architectural dimensions of knitting techniques. For Fitbit, we incorporated the same techniques and materials as seen in our collection. Knowing knit is so adaptable for so many activities, we feel like our bands help bring more fashion to balance the sport.
What was your favorite part about this project?
We definitely enjoyed being experimental in a completely new product category. We’ve learned so much about wearable technology and are excited to be able to see these watch bands on a much broader customer base. It was awesome when Fitbit picked our favorite designs from the initial proposal. We are a good match.
Wei, as an athlete yourself, how do you plan to incorporate the watch into both your daily life and your triathlons?
I’ve been wearing Fitbit since the beginning of this project and not only do I wear it during the day but I also wear it during my trainings (swimming, cycling and running). It’s super intelligent and lightweight. I love it very much.
What are your favorite features of the watch?
The Fitbit Versa has so many great features. The sleep tracking feature really saves me. I can now manage my sleep pattern better and use that knowledge to plan my days. Also a huge fan of Fitbit Coach. I usually do my triathlon trainings on my own while traveling, and I enjoy watching the videos on Fitbit Coach.
Where do you see the future of the intersection of fashion and technology?
Fashion and technology will be more and more integrated. Fashion needs to stay relevant to what’s happening around the world. And what’s important to our customers is that their lives are becoming more and more tech enhanced. Wearable tech will only become more important and prevalent in fashion. As a fashion brand, in order to better dress our customers, we need to challenge ourselves to incorporate more technology and sustainability into our designs.
