Imagine a world where your clothing regulates your body temperature, monitors vital signs, or your necklace glows as the sun sets. This world is already a reality. In June 2012, three Calgarians founded MakeFashion to introduce designers, engineers, and apparel makers to the exciting world of fashion technology—a fusion of electronics and high fashion. Creativity and innovation are the guiding principles of this community, which unites clothing, jewelry, and accessory designers with software and hardware engineers. Read on for more details at calgarynka.
Founders
One of the founders and the community’s Chief Technologist is Shannon Hoover. Shannon grew up on a farm in northern Alberta, where he learned to build things with his own hands. After almost 20 years in IT, Shannon, along with his wife Maria Elena Hoover, opened the Endeavor Arts gallery in 2010 with the idea of showcasing the convergence of art and technology.
The second co-founder and Production Director of MakeFashion is Maria Elena Hoover. Born and raised in Mexico, Maria Elena moved to Calgary in 2004. A graphic designer by trade, she consulted for several small businesses before launching Endeavour Arts with Shannon. Since then, she has been passionate about fostering a vibrant, inclusive community around the intersection of art, fashion, and technology by organizing workshops, events, and showcases across North America and China.
The third co-founder and Chief Creative Director is Chelsea Klukas. Chelsea has worked as a product design manager at Facebook, a UX designer at Amazon, and a creative director at the social shopping startup BeauCoo. She also led the design team for the Poynt app, which pioneered AR functions for iOS. Chelsea co-invented the renowned Lumen Couture Projection Hat and the Lumiere Atelier tech-fashion collection.
The establishment of MakeFashion Edu—a global nonprofit organization focused on promoting learning through fashion and technology—was spearheaded by Carrie Leung. A San Francisco native, Carrie transitioned from IT and finance to education, aiming to make learning accessible. She empowers young minds by creating open-source platforms, organizing community-driven educational movements, and leveraging maker culture to forge positive community connections. Her mission is to make fashion technology accessible to all.
Annual Events
MakeFashion’s initial vision in 2013 was to bring fashion technology to the runway. Since then, annual showcases in Calgary have presented innovative collections combining fashion technology with theater and performance art. These shows inspire teams of designers and engineers to push the boundaries of creativity and technological innovation.
In addition to runway events, MakeFashion organizes thought leadership symposiums, innovative theater, and performances. The MakeFashion community also presents unique projects at global fashion events, from New York to Shenzhen.
MakeFashion Gala
The most significant annual event is the MakeFashion Gala, which brings designers and garment makers together with engineers and tech enthusiasts in Calgary. The merging of skills and ideas produces stunning results and groundbreaking combinations of light, fashion, and performance.
The MakeFashion Gala pairs local fashion designers with tech-savvy creators to develop innovative art pieces that light up, blink, and respond to touch and sound. Designers draw inspiration from functional fashion—ranging from captivating runway narratives to wearable tech with practical applications.
Workshops, Consultations, and Education
The founders, designers, and team members of MakeFashion share their wealth of experience through various workshops and consultations, discussing the future of fashion and technological innovations.
MakeFashion Edu is an international nonprofit that gives young designers access to industry-based, project-oriented learning. Its educational programs focus on teaching the basics of electronics in a safe and enjoyable environment. The curriculum culminates in awe-inspiring runway shows where students model their creations.
MakeFashion Edu runway events take place in community spaces, serving as the grand finale of months of preparation by students. Classes are held in schools or educational centers worldwide, focusing on design, with technology as a secondary element.
Lumen Couture Collection
After numerous runway showcases, the MakeFashion founders decided to create their own durable, practical tech fashion pieces—some even washable. Lumen Couture is the first ready-to-wear line from the community.
Lumen Couture offers stylish tech wear for everyday use, special events, and performances. The illuminated clothing incorporates built-in LED technology for fashionable lighting effects that transition seamlessly from day to evening. This collection was designed by experienced designer and MakeFashion co-founder Chelsea Klukas.
In 2018, MakeFashion developed StitchKit, enabling both beginners and professionals to turn any design project into a tech marvel.
The StitchKit includes a custom-designed Arduino-based board for fashion technology and wearable garments, a simplified USB controller with pre-programmed lighting patterns, and various sensors (e.g., sound, motion). The controller is built to endure the movements of everyday wear but is compact enough to be concealed within garments. StitchKit can be paired with an LED strip called LitStitch. Depending on the kit, a range of sensors—sound, proximity (distance), light, vibration, buttons, touch, accelerometers, etc.—is available.
StitchKit represents MakeFashion’s first serious attempt to manufacture a high-quality tech product overseas. Over a year of research went into ensuring the StitchKit board functions correctly, from power requirements to the number of LEDs it can support. Importantly, this tech wear is washable, requiring no removal of lights before laundering.
For children and parents, StitchKit offers an engaging way to learn the basics of electronics and coding. For designers, it provides the foundation for starting in fashion technology. For cosplayers, it’s a practical tool for creating realistic and dynamic representations of popular characters through costume, light, sound, and more.
For those requiring no programming skills, MakeFashion offers StitchKit Junior. Designed for rapid prototyping of wearable devices and fashion tech creations, StitchKit Junior is as simple as connecting an LED strip to a USB controller and a USB power bank. A single charge lasts six to eight hours.