Anina, also known by the pseudonymAnina net,[1] is an American-born German international fashion model, conference speaker, blogger,[2]wearables developer, and event producer. She is listed as #7 in the Top 100 Women in Wearable and Consumer Tech[3] and is the CEO and founder of 360Fashion Network.[4][5][6] Anina progressed from being a model to a fashion industry pioneer when she developed Intel Curie-powered shape-shifting robot dresses.[7][8] She developed for Intel[9] the 360Fashion Network's smart gloves worn by 162 dancers on CCTV's Chinese New Year Festival Gala show, "Spring Wind" performance.[10][11] The gloves were powered by Intel's Curie, with the LED light pattern generated using gesture recognition.[12]PBS Television shot a documentary about Anina, who was interviewed by Robert Cringely at the start of 360Fashion Network as the first fashion blogger network. PBS Television's Nerd TV[13] interviewed Anina as the ninth guest and the first woman in the series about the future of mobile technology. CRI Radio in China filmed a documentary titled "My China Life."[14] CNet wrote, "In blogs, and Anina, we trust"[15] citing her as one of the star attractions at Les Blogs 2.0.
Career
In the summer of 2019, Anina and 360Fashion Network hosted the Diversity Meets Technology online summit kicking off the launch of 360Fashion tech maker kits at New York Fashion Week and robotic dresses at a Melange Fashion show on September 6, 2019.[16] The diversity and technology online summit is the first of its kind to explore the topics of diverse technologies and people in fashion, technology, business, and innovation, with leaders from the tech and fashion industries including Sandy Carter, Anin and Elliot Carlyle, and many others.[17]
On March 21, 2019, the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago launched "Wired to Wear," an exhibition featuring 1000 wearables including a wireless charging wallet in hot pink developed by 360Fashion Network and designed by Anina.[18][19] The 360Fashion Network charging wallet in hot pink is named businesswoman after Sandy Carter, an American businesswoman, speaker and author.[20] The MSI Chicago Museum shop is also selling 360Fashion Network's products.[21]
Her fashion technology products are showcased at the Target Open House in San Francisco, CA, including a wireless charging wallet, 360Fash Tech Kit, and Smart Safety Ring.[22] The 360Fash Tech Kits are for fashion designers who do not code or solder to create smart garments and accessories.[buzzword][23]
She has spoken at several places, including Wearable USA,[24] Printed Electronics USA,[25] FASHIONTECH Berlin,[26] Fashion Futures Korea,[27] AVANTEX PARIS,[28] The Tax office of the Netherlands,[29] The Arts Plus Conference,[30] Codame Art+Tech,[31] Hardware Massive,[32] and Les Blogs.[33]
She has a following in China.[34][35]China Central Television awarded her "China's top foreign model" in 2009.[36] She also has her own line of Anime-inspired clothes, "aninaMINEme"[37] and NFC cuffs to easily exchange information while shaking hands.[38] Anina has never stopped investigating and educating brands, officials, and consumers about the growing opportunities of the quickly evolving wearable technology market in China.[39]
Anina also produces fashion technology events in Asia,[40] such as the 360Fashion&Tech Expo (in its 5th year).[41][42] Together with the China National Garment Association CHIC show, which has over 125,000 people in attendance[43][44] and the first high tech runway fashion show in China at the Mobile World Congress, Shanghai.[45][46] She produced the IBM 360Fashion boxes Innovation Awards in the United States in November 2015,[47] though her first exhibition was in 2004, called "a new kind of supermodel" at Molière's house in Paris under the art post movement.[48] Anina was the first model blogger, starting in 2004 with a document filmed on her Nouvo CH TV in Paris.[49][50] In 2005 her modeling agency gave her an ultimatum to stop blogging. She refused to quit and was forced to join another agency.[51][52]
Events produced
Year
Title
Notable Designers and Technologists
Notable Collaboration
Attendance
2017
360Fashion & Tech "Visibility and Mobility" Exhibition, Detroit
Michal Starost, RFactory, Azrael.YM, VR Guy, Carly Rose the Label
