NEW YORK, United States - I'm sure you've all had one of those moments when a friend or colleague picked up your phone by accident, because it looked the exactly the same as theirs. I know it's happened to me on more than one occasion. Today, Paul Taylor of the FT cleverly compared the uniform style and design of most mobile phones to the Ford Model T, when Henry Ford declared that "the customer can have any colour he wants, so long as it's black".

Just the other day, we dove into the marriage of fashion and technology for the first time, looking at the emergence of the fashion phone. But, the ideas, questions and suggestions have kept coming since then, begging the question: is now the right time not only for bringing a little fashion to technology, but also for bringing a little technology to fashion?

New York-based Angel Chang thinks so. She is one designer who is integrating new technologies into her designs.

For example, she developed this self-heating cashmere vest in partnership with Noble Biomaterials, the silver fibers suppliers to the U.S. Army. She also

[ collaborated with RedMapsOpens in new window ]

to develop a dress that reveals a map of New York when the wearer blows on it. Instantly practical it may not be, but thought-provoking it certainly is.

Angel sent us this in-depth study, entitled "Engineers are from Mars. Fashion Designers are from Venus" on the potential for bridging the seemingly enormous gap between techies and fashionistas. For anyone who is interesting in this emerging space, it is a must-read.

In the report, Angel demonstrates that design and style are increasingly important decision factors in the purchase of consumer electronics, and the growing number of fashion phones in the market indicates that both mobile phone manufacturers and fashion brands are beginning to recognise this, particularly as women play more important roles in technology purchases.