Fashion, Wearables, and Material Experiments From September 24–30, 2026

TL;DR

• This edition brings together fashion releases, brand collaborations, visual-culture projects, material experiments, and body-worn technology.
• The week’s clearest fashion-technology case study centers on the garment surface itself.
• Alibaba’s Qwen announcement pairs visual AI glasses with an open-ear clip-on form.
• The week’s other stories include adaptive fashion, virtual try-on, robotic footwear, smart glasses, hearing glasses, and customizable headphones.

This follows the September 20–23 briefing. This edition follows the places where technology becomes visible on the body: in fabric, accessories, eyewear, footwear, and the spaces built around them. It also includes the collaborations, exhibitions, and creative events that place those objects in a wider fashion and cultural context.

How Did Fashion Move Technology Into the Garment?

WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 Completes the Fashion Technology Stages

The official WorldSkills Shanghai schedule shows the Fashion Technology skill finishing C2 at 4:15 p.m. on September 24, C3 at 5:00 p.m. on September 25, and C4 at 12:45 p.m. on September 26. The skill covers fabrics, cutting, garment making, fashion trends, and translating designs into wearable clothing.

London’s Front Row Brings Adaptive and Inclusive Fashion to the Catwalk

Backup Trust’s account of Front Row says the show took place in London on September 24 with three catwalk shows featuring adaptive and sustainable fashion from Intotum, Unhidden, May Marigold, Recondition, and Designer Exchange. Models who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids took part, highlighting how clothing can adapt to bodies and movement.

Tesco Trials Virtual Try-On Technology for F&F Clothing

On September 25, Tesco’s announcement said it began trialing virtual try-on technology at its Sandhurst Extra store in the UK, covering around 1,500 F&F womenswear and menswear items. Customers can upload a photo, use a selfie, or select a digital model to see garments, with size support provided through new changing-room and service areas.

adidas and Entire Studios Release Their Second FW26 Collaboration

The adidas announcement says adidas and Entire Studios launched their 26-piece FW26 collection worldwide on September 29, combining technical sportswear with tailoring. The collection includes adidas Z.N.E., Optimé, Dropset 4, a technical trench coat, and Feroza motorsport footwear, with Dove Grey, Black, and Fox Red as key colors alongside reflective details and recycled materials.

Shift Robotics Launches Moonwalkers Dusk AI Robotic Footwear

Shift Robotics launched Moonwalkers Dusk on September 29. The launch release says the footwear uses Physical AI and a gait model, comes in S, M, and L sizes with customizable colors, continuous LEDs, and app control, and is offered in Cedar, Heliotrope, and Obsidian finishes. The product is designed to read as fashion footwear before revealing its robotic function.

Which Collaborations Connected Fashion to Culture and Place?

Arc’teryx and BEAMS Mark 25 Years With the KOYO Collaboration and NOW / THEN Archive Exhibition

The BEAMS company release says Arc’teryx and BEAMS launched their 25th-anniversary KOYO collaboration worldwide on September 25 and opened the NOW / THEN archive exhibition in Tokyo. The collection includes the GORE-TEX PRO ePE THETA AR Jacket, Gamma Jacket, Jogen Pants, Gamma 5 Panel Cap, and KONSEAL 15 Backpack; the Tokyo exhibition ran from September 25 to 27 and traced the partnership’s history and its connection between climbing and street culture.

Alpha Industries and Metamorfosi Release a Nightlife-Inspired Collaboration Jacket

The Alpha Industries Europe editorial says Alpha Industries and Metamorfosi, the electronic-music label and party platform associated with Joseph Capriati, launched an Iron Grey CWU collaboration jacket on September 29. It features metal butterfly details, a tonal butterfly print, secure zippers, and a “Remove Before Clubbing” tag, with exclusive sales through Alpha Europe, the Frankfurt store, Metamorfosi, and the Amnesia closing party in Ibiza.

What Did the Week’s Visual-Culture and Material Projects Explore?

Tokyo’s Visual EXPO Focuses on AI, XR, and Virtual-Human Filmmaking

The official Visual EXPO page says the event opened in Tokyo on September 28 and ran through September 29, presenting branded films, AI/XR, virtual humans, and generative-AI filmmaking. A separate exhibition notice says TYO AIXR also premiered the XR Magic Orchestra / GAUS VR experience, created with Gaussian splatting and XR direction techniques.

Soil to Surface Turns Agricultural Waste Into Textile Experiments

The Textile Month listing says Soil to Surface opened at FIT Art and Design Gallery in New York on September 24. It presents material experiments by women farmers and cooperatives in Türkiye, designers, and FIT participants, turning pomegranate peels, walnut husks, nettle leaves, onion skins, bay leaves, and barley straw into plant dyes, paper-like surfaces, and embellishments. The exhibition runs through November 1.

Which Wearables Turned Accessories Into Interfaces?

Beats 360 Brings Customizable Over-Ear Headphones to Stores

The Beats 360 release says the customizable over-ear headphones became available in stores and on shelves on September 24. Users can swap the ear cushions and headband cushions, with color and material combinations designed to match different styles, activities, and moods.

Lexus and AMBUSH Launch the Future Classic Club Collection

The Lexus pressroom announcement says Lexus and Tokyo design house AMBUSH began selling the limited Future Classic Club collection on AMBUSH’s website on September 25. The collection includes jackets, T-shirts, a cap, and a functional chrome carabiner with intricate engraving, translating automotive design language into clothing and wearable accessories.

Alibaba Unveils Qwen Glasses and Qwen Clip Wearables

At the 2026 Apsara Conference, Alibaba unveiled Qwen Glasses N1 and N1 Pro and its first AI ear-clip device, Qwen Clip. The report says N1 Pro has a 50-megapixel first-person camera and eye-tracking and visual-interaction features; Qwen Clip uses an open-ear clip-on design for face-to-face translation, note-taking, and voice tasks, and was co-engineered with Bose.

Anrealage Presents the Spring 2027 “Skin” Collection With Electronic-Paper Scales

Anrealage presented its Spring 2027 “Skin” collection in Paris on September 29. The report describes Ultrasuede garments with 3D-printed scales and six armor-like dresses carrying roughly 1,000 to 2,000 individually controlled electronic-paper scales; the scales shift color with the viewing angle without emitting light. The presentation also included a live performance of Firebird. E Ink’s confirmation says the garments used E Ink Prism 3.

Fitbit Air Brings a Screenless Health Device to India

Google and Fitbit announced on September 30 that Fitbit Air was coming to the Indian market. Google’s India announcement says the device uses a screenless design and health sensors, with interchangeable Performance Loop, Active Band, and Elevated Modern Band options; the Elevated Modern Band is designed to look more like a traditional bracelet. Google said the product would be on Indian shelves on October 2.

SoftBank Begins Offering Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 and LISA Smart Glasses in Japan

On September 25, SoftBank’s announcement said it began selling Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 in Japan and expanded its Meta Glasses lineup with Meta Glasses by LISA. The LISA version comes in two frame styles; Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 offers three frames and three lens types, creating six combinations. SoftBank also planned try-on experiences.

Elah Holds the Elah Ring S1 Launch Event in New York

According to Elah’s event recap, the company held an evening launch event for the Elah Ring S1 in New York on September 28, describing it as the first faith-centered smart ring for Christians. The event presented the ring’s body tracking, prayer reminders, and Cross Light feature; preorders remained open through October 12, with a North American launch scheduled for October 13.

EssilorLuxottica Launches Nuance Audio Plus Hearing Glasses

EssilorLuxottica launched Nuance Audio Plus on September 29. The PR Newswire release says the FDA-cleared open-ear hearing glasses offer enhanced audio, calling, and approximately 10 hours of battery life, with three frame styles—Square 53, Panthos 48, and Upturn 52—available in five colors and compatible with optical and Transitions lenses.

Which Creative Spaces and Hearing Glasses Appeared This Week?

Edward Buchanan Soft-Opens The Situation Creative Space in Milan

Vogue’s report on Edward Buchanan’s hub for Black creatives says Buchanan held a soft opening for The Situation in Milan on September 25. The space supports creatives from disadvantaged communities, plans to provide no-cost residencies for projects, and preserves archives from Buchanan’s Bottega work, consultancy projects, and textile research.