Interactive textile Infinite Canvas, developed by Switch Embassy, is cut from the same cloth. Well, at least figuratively: The plug-and-play fabric system, which displays text and images on flexible, all-white LED screens, developed out of the San Francisco-based company’s efforts to create a more resilient and less expensive tshirtOS. (Ballantine’s eventually produced 25 of these version 2.0 shirts, using them in its 2013 Stay True—Leave an Impression campaign.)
Foldable and machine-washable, just like its Ballantine’s 2.0 predecessor, Infinite Canvas uses only white microLEDs on its fabric background. Panels are available “in any shape, size, or geometry starting with an 8×8 grid,” says Alison Lewis, SwitchEmbassy’s founder and CEO. They also can be sewn together, just like any flat fabric pattern. That means multiple panels can appear on larger items such as coats and pants, as well as on home décor and signage.
