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Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

The Technology That Made Fashion Possible

A simple innovation still in use today likely allowed prehistoric humans to turn clothing into the complex social signals they are now, according to researchers.
Eyed needles made of bone.
Eyed needles from the last Ice Age. (Gilligan et al)

In the weeks before June’s couture shows, workers in European ateliers hunched over garments carefully sewing and ornamenting them with beads and other decorative flourishes, at times with little more than skilled hands and an eyed needle.

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Further Reading

Are New Materials Ready to Go Mainstream?

A wave of high-profile failures has dampened the hype around biofabricated materials and ingredients, making this year a critical one for start-ups in the space to execute on scale-up plans.

About the author
Marc Bain
Marc Bain

Marc Bain is Technology Correspondent at The Business of Fashion. He is based in New York and drives BoF’s coverage of technology and innovation, from start-ups to Big Tech.

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