The annual Fashion/Tech Hackathon is a dynamic, cross-circular event allowing teams of students from all across the U.S. and Canada, to learn new skills and create innovative technology that will help define the future of fashion.

Participating students spend 36 hours developing a project of their choice in the form of a technology-enhanced garment or wearable-responsive web application. All teams are given free access to the TechStyleLAB, the Fashion School's digital textile fabrication space, along with a variety of free electronic and textile materials. Faculty mentors are on hand throughout the weekend to assist the students with any issues or questions they have during the event.

The Fashion/Tech Hackathon in partnership with the Fashion School’s TechStyleLAB, Kent State's Design Innovation, high tech knit company Evolution St. Louis, Kent State’s LaunchNET and the Kent State computer science student organization HacKSU.

More Information at: https://www.kent.edu/fashion/fashiontech-hackathon

KSU FTH 2020 Themes

Social justice is a concept of fair and just relations between the individual and society, as measured by the distribution of wealth, opportunities for personal activity, and social privileges. Across different cultures globally, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals fulfill their societal roles and receive what was their due from society.  In many current global grassroots movements for social justice, the emphasis has been on the breaking of barriers for social mobility, the creation of safety nets and economic justice.

Four key themes to addressing social justice include:
1) equity
2) access
3) participation
4) rights.

Social justice issues can occur in relation to practically any aspect of society where inequality can arise as a result of unjust prejudices or policies. Typical Social Justice issues include: Race, Gender, Age, Sexual Orientation, Religion, Nationality, Education and Mental or Physical Ability.

Imagine how a simple life-changing redesign or wearable tech innovation, which, as a product or experience, could positively impact individuals and/or communities experiencing inequities. How can that product or experience become as seamless as possible for the Gen Z, Millennial, Generation X’er, Baby Boomer? 


Sustainability is a term often associated with the effort to preserve the resources of our planet. When engaging in sustainable practice it is important to consider the three three pillars of sustainable practice: environmental, social, and economic. Anything created must not cause irreversible damage to the environment or those that depend on it, should benefit society and be economically viable. Indeed, the United Nations suggests that sustainable development is “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Four key themes to addressing sustainability include:
1) disposal
2) access
3) participation
4) adoption

Sustainability must be closed loop (either biodegradable or infinitely recyclable) with responsibility for the disposal of the product as important as the initial distribution. How can we plan for the entire lifecycle of a product? Imagine how technology might be applied to create or utilize sustainable textiles? How might technology be used to encourage and enable others to take action against climate change, fast fashion, or clothing waste? How can technology be used to reduce energy and/or water use/waste?

$5,000 in prizes

• Judging Criteria
  Judges will be looking at the following for each project. Items below are not equally weighted. 1) Concept Originality. 2) Technological Innovation. 3) Execution and Polish. 4) Communication, Presentation and Rigor. 5) Audience/Market Appeal/Usability:
• 1) Concept Originality
  How novel is the concept or application? Has it been done before? Is the approach novel? The work should exhibit depth of understanding and insight.
• 2) Technological Innovation
  How innovative is the use of technology: have advances been made in the use of standard tools for a new purpose? Have new technologies been developed? What does the technology bring to the wearer or the viewer in the wearable environment?
• 3) Execution and Polish
  How professional and polished is the finished product? Have appropriate or novel construction techniques been implemented? How have standard hardware components been adapted for the wearable environment?
• 4) Communication and Rigor
  How well have the concept, novelty, and use of technology been communicated? Is the idea and process evident in written and visual materials?
• 5) Audience/Usability
  How appropriate is the design for the intended audience/purpose? (Most Visually/Aesthetically Compelling) How well have the designers addressed the usability of their interface/interaction? (Best wearable tech to solve a problem)