Jeans That Can Control Your Phone? Google And Levi's Take Wearable Technology To A New Level

The two companies are working together to create gesture-interactive denim that can send data to devices

Google has teamed up with Levi's for a very fashion-forward new business venture called Project Jacquard.

The internet giant and the retailer have announced that they're creating wearable technology that will be gesture interactive.

Confused by what this could mean for the future of denim?

Their plan is to sell garments that have the power to interact with, send data to and display information from a nearby device such as an iPhone.

Our minds have official been blown.

The jeans will be crafted from a special Jacquard thread that's been interwoven with smart technology.

Although we're still struggling to get our heads around how this is possible, the companies are hoping to have their extremely clever threads on sale by next autumn/winter.

The technology has already been created so it's now the turn of the designers to get creative with their side of the process.

'This isn't a launch, it's a platforming opportunity,' Paul Dillinger, vice president of innovation for the Levi's brand told WWD.

'It becomes a home to new forms and applications we haven't thought of yet. The potential is that the input is the gesture - crossing your legs, swiping, saving, lifting.'

Wearable technology has seen a rise in popularity in recent years -

Ralph Lauren released a polo shirt that can relay heart rate info, while

Opening Ceremony designed a varsity jacket that can charge phones.

But the Google and Levi's collaboration is the first of its kind.

Ivan Poupyrev, Project Jacquard founder and technical program lead at Google's Advanced Technology and Products group, believes in the initiative's potential as no new looms will be required.

'The challenge of creating Jacquard yarn was to create yarn that is highly conductive and at the same time scalable,' he states in the project's video press release.

'Which means it could be used on industrial weaving machines everywhere in the world.'

Lead designer Carsten Schwesig adds: 'Software and fashion design often don't exist in the same place, so we're hoping to make it easier for both of those parties to collaborate.'