As well as the possibility of fabrics that encapsulate feel-good chemical ingredients within microfiber bubbles, we have microchips that could be programmed to anticipate our needs. Computers can also create intriguing effects. Alexander McQueen and Thierry Mugler have both used digital mechanics for inspiration. And in his latest show, the British designer Hussein Chalayan explored the theme of ''life forces'' using a remote control to open up a metallic dress to allow a bush of tulle to spring out. No, you couldn't sit down in it, but the dress was creatively dazzling.
Japanese designers star at fusing fashion and technology.
Among many fabric research projects, Issey Miyake invented, originally for modern dance costumes, ultralight polyester pleats. They have become a defining look for women's fast-paced lives at the end of the century. But to make fashion out of technological wizardry, the chemist and the creator have to collaborate. That is when the 21st century will produce a new alchemy of style. Suzy Menkes is the fashion editor of the International Herald Tribune.