Where Fashion Meets Technology: The Statement Accessory This Tech Entrepreneur Keeps In Her Wardrobe And Why

Film Photography by Rahm Carrington

By Melissa Unsell-Smith

Fashion and technology are bound to collide, and as they do, magical things will manifest. As a tech entrepreneur, I am always searching for forward-thinking designers who are marrying my greatest passions–fashion and technology–with their pioneering products. Accessories designer Diana Broussard is doing just that by pushing the limits on catalyzing these two realms. I have been a huge fan of Broussard for years, vying for her meticulously crafted pieces season after season.

As fashion and technology collide, this emergence will lead way for creative self-expression. Broussard launched her TechLuxe line at Paris Fashion Week a few years ago, and I have been collecting what I can ever since. She achieved beauty, functionality, technology and high-fashion wrapped up in an accessory, and each is a work of art.

The line currently includes the aptly-named dbChronicle necklace: my favorite piece. I proudly procured it for my wardrobe, and it is a staple statement for me. The necklace is a resin masterpiece assembled with a video screen and a speaker, which can display anything the wearer desires. The perfect amalgam of a designer’s imagination colliding with self-expression by the consumer. This is the future of fashion, in my opinion: a future in which the designer creates a canvas for an individual that bridges dimension, meaning and wonderment for not only the runways, but for daily life.

Image source: Diana Broussard

Why am I so in love with this statement necklace? As a tech entrepreneur, I have used this piece to display demonstrations of my company’s software. It is a magnetic conversation starter, great for sales, and taking in the observer’s reaction never disappoints. For more casual events, I display one of the videos made for the necklace–it offers an abstract construction of colorful shapes and lines, as well as a musical piece by American Composer David Lang.

To take it a step further, Broussard also offers the dbChronicle?bag. A masterfully created clutch exuding the same qualities and wonderment of the necklace, it is also made of resin and the strap pays homage to the iconic necklaces in her collection. The necklace and clutch come with a USB cable to connect to a PC or laptop in order to add or remove the videos, as well as charge the batteries.

Image source: Diana Broussard

With the popularity of video creation and consumption, these pieces seem to fit the mold perfectly by offering an introduction of fashion tech accessories. The possibilities for what can come next are bound only by our imaginations.

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Melissa Unsell-Smith

Contributor

President and Founder of Rectify a woman-led tech company that leverages machine learning to protect consumer identities when data is shared with third parties, Melissa Unsell-Smith is an automation expert who solves challenging dilemmas involved with protecting private data. Originator of “privacy-enabled artificial intelligence,” she has developed best practices for data privacy and good data stewardship. In her free time, Melissa is an avid volunteer focusing on creating legacy projects for data stewardship, as well as women in tech and the arts. Melissa currently serves on the Board of Girls Inc., the Advisory Board for She Code Connect, and is the Chairwoman for the Classical Music Institute. Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn and on Instagram @melissaunsellsmith.