Fashion Tech at CES 2026

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas showcases once a year what is new in the technology industry. The news headlines this year were mostly for humanoid robots, AI, the next generation of (microRGB) screens, and the SMART brick from LEGO. However, with 4,100 exhibitors spread across the Las Vegas Convention Center and The Venetian, the tradeshow not only makes you walk 10 kilometers, but also covers all corners of consumer electronics: automotive, biotech, construction, digital health, drones, entertainment, gaming, educational tech, IoT, smart home, sports & fitness, pet & animal tech, etc. And of course, the reason for my visit, as founder of Elegnano, fashion tech.

Trends in fashion tech

CES 2026 confirmed what many in the industry have been sensing for a while: fashion tech is no longer about gimmicks. Instead, it is maturing into an ecosystem focused on wellbeing, comfort, traceability, and subtle intelligence embedded into everyday products we wear and carry. This year’s show moved mostly beyond flashy wearables toward technologies that quietly integrate into clothing, footwear, and accessories. Artificial Intelligence was the recurring theme across the whole consumer technology industry, including fashion tech. In retail, smart mirrors and AI agents enabling virtual try-on from a single selfie suggest a future where fitting rooms are as much digital as physical.

Footwear as a Platform

From a technical standpoint, footwear is one of the most sophisticated fashion products. Several companies showcased dedicated shoe-washing systems designed to clean sneakers and (flat) footwear without damaging materials. While they were mostly developed with the sneakerhead in mind, these washing machines for shoes, are tested for a broad range of materials, including suede and leather. The Shoe Steamer comes with shoe lasts/trees inside for your size (or a tray if smaller shoe sizes) so the shoes don't loose shape during the washing cycle.

Fit and health were equally central in footwear tech. Fitasy presented scanning technology that enables precise foot measurement for 3D-printed shoes, while Orphe demonstrated smart insoles capable of capturing gait, pressure, and movement data, Kokasin developed smart insoles with GPS tracking for the elderly and children.

Fashion Tech for Everyone at CES

Accessibility emerged as a meaningful design driver. Rather than positioning accessibility as a niche, CES framed it as a source of innovation that benefits broader audiences. For aging populations, the Korean Shoealls focused on fall-prevention footwear by embedding sensors and feedback mechanisms to support balance and stability, while Cadence created easy slip-on sneakers with simple design features on the outsole to prevent tripping, slipping, and falling. In clothing, Tactus demonstrated textiles with embedded electronics that translate sound into vibrations, allowing deaf and hard-of-hearing users to experience music through touch.

Color Changes

The French brand, Peuty, introduced a handbag capable of changing color and pattern through OLED. The idea is to adapt the color of your handbag to your mood, outfit, or environment. And if you also want to match your nails with your outfit as well, iPolish came with press-on nails that can change color on demand, from a virtual endless library of colors.

Wearables to Track Your Every Move at CES

CES 2026 emphasized wearables that want to infuse your daily life with technology. Even though they keep improving and gradually get more elegant, smart glasses and smart rings are old news at CES. Jewelry-like trackers are also ready for their next generation. Omi makes a pendant-style AI wearable that can record conversations and interactions, acting as a personal memory and assistant. The device reflects a broader move toward ambient AI, always present (and intrusive). In jewelry, brands like Nirva, Muse Wearables, and the Italian Fortitudo Diamonds - with the most elegant design of all - explored smart jewelry that merges aesthetics with biometric or emotional sensing, positioning jewelry as both adornment and interface.

On the body itself, On-Skin presented ultra-thin wearable interfaces, while BuranBio showcased a stimulation calf sleeve designed to translate movement into therapeutic feedback, blurring the line between fashion, sportswear, and medical devices.

Several returning exhibitors focused also on product lifecycle tracking and authenticity, with solutions such as Ootentik highlighting traceability, anti-counterfeiting, and post-purchase engagement.

CES 2026 further established that fashion tech is no longer asking whether technology belongs in fashion, but how invisibly, responsibly, and human-centrically it can be woven in. An evolution we have been contributing to at Elegnano from the beginning.