INJURY X KnitWarm @ Harper's BAZAAR Australia

The innovative label once again blended technology with fashion for their ‘55555’ collection.

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A self-described “interdisciplinary brand of fashion, music, CG films, digital fashion, and art collectibles merging realities,” the Sydney label is led by founder and creative director Eugene Leung, and design and brand director Dan Tse. Their mission is to embrace the future wholeheartedly by bridging the physical and digital worlds in their design, while retaining a sense of emotive humanity — and they certainly stayed true to that while presenting their new collection, titled ‘55555’.

“The Angel Number ‘55555’ symbolises the principles of progression, multiplicity, new changes and growth, and was the main reference when we began creating this collection,” Leung and Tse told Harper’s BAZAAR Australia/ New Zealand ahead of their AFW runway.

Notably, technology isn’t just a gimmick for Injury to hook into as a buzzy point of difference — it’s something Leung and Tse aim to marry with fashion to benefit the wearer and the world. The runway demonstrated this with a collaboration with Hong Kong label KnitWarm to produce innovative, heat-conductive knitwear.

INJURY X KnitWarm 'HEAT' baby top — "HEAT" baby knit-top by INJURY x KnitWarm

“HERO knitwarm top, "HEAT" baby knit-top, and Smart Heat Conductive Knit dress are made with heat conductive smart textile, that heats in 30 seconds through a plug-in power bank,” Tse and Leung explained. “Unlike a water bottle or heat pad, the conductive smart textile is just part of the knitwear and it is breathable, washable and rechargeable. We are excited to explore the potential of it — the way this technology could transform fashion away from seasonality, creating pieces you can wear all year around.”

Technology is also key throughout their design process, allowing the duo to reduce wasteas they take a garment from concept to reality. “To create the collection itself, we built a virtual world in 3D,” they said. “The characters are created with digital garments first using 3D modelling to simulate and test how things look like, which is also a sustainable way to create fashion that eliminates waste.”

Is there a particular look you are most fond of from this collection?

The Aggro-Goth look with a one-piece knit dress. The knit dress is a collaboration of INJURY x Knitwarm, a tech-fabric that warms up with a power bank. We collaborated with Knitwarm to create knitwear pieces that are made with heat conductive smart textile, that heats in 30 seconds through a plug-in power bank. Unlike a water bottle or heat pad, the conductive smart textile is just part of the knitwear and it is breathable, washable and rechargeable. We are excited to explore the potential of it — the way this technology could transform fashion away from seasonality, creating pieces you can wear all year around.