Very few things can kill a good mood like seeing your phone reach that horrid 5% battery life mark while you’re out roaming the streets, and now that could be a thing of the past. UK designer Adrien Sauvage, whose notable clients include Terry Gilliam, Jude Law, and Mos Def, has now collaborated with Microsoft for the betterment of social media junkies and chronic texters alike with their cellphone-chargeable chinos.
“My phone is always dying so I was super interested in the idea,” the 31-year-old fashion designer explained. The project has been in the works for the past six months, and now the prototype will be unveiled tonight as part of the A. Sauvage spring/summer show at London Collections: Men in Bloomsbury.
The chinos feature a wireless charing plate, courtesy of the Nokia DC-50, which is reworked and fitted in the front pocket of the trousers. The wearer essentially needs only to put their phone in the pocket, and through “inductive charging”, a process that uses electromagnetic fields to send energy, the phone will begin to charge. It’s that simple.
While these wearable chinos are a paramount step in intersecting the worlds fashion and technology, they didn’t come to fruition without trial and error — some of which couldn’t be overcame. “Having something that you could wear without the technology feeling cumbersome was a challenge. It was also difficult to distribute the heat so that the wearer wouldn’t feel like they were in a sauna,” Sauvage explained. While these issues may have been worked out, Sauvage was understandably unable to find a way to make the pants machine washable — but hey, beggers can’t be choosers.
With an estimated price point of “over $340” by Sauvage, the charging chinos will be on sale for the next three months via Amazon’s fashion store, get yours if you can.
– Khari Clarke (@KINGCLARKEIII)
