C&A is getting into wearable tech - with a hackathon in Brazil

Smart blazers, anyone?
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C&A is looking for up and coming wearable tech designs to sell in its stores around the world. Sure, you might - like us - associate the shop with school uniforms, but the Dutch department store chain has over 1,500 stores.

Following in the footsteps of Topshop's Top Pitch competition, C&A is partnering with the WeAr wearable tech event in São Paulo, Brazil to celebrate 40 years there.

Read this: Topshop's smart clothing competition winner Loomia

The challenge for the 40 selected "young designers and makers" is to create a wearable tech device that can be manufactured at scale and sold in C&A stores. At the two day hackathon, participants will have to build prototypes with help from mentors.

The prize? The "possibility to have your item produced for future collections of wearables at C&A" (translated from the website) plus gift vouchers and some guaranteed media coverage.

If you're interested in entering or want more information, you can apply here until 3 December. The hackathon runs on 10 and 11 December at the Instituto Europeo Di Design in São Paulo. Speakers include fashion tech designer Becca McCharen as well as engineers, professors and experts from Intel, Google, the Royal College of Art and IBM.

Source: ZDNet

C&A is getting into wearable tech - with a hackathon in Brazil




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