Jasna Rok

What is your occupation now?

I am the Founder & CEO of Belgium's first Fashion and Technology Design Lab - Jasna Rok.

What expertise did you gain at WdKA?

What didn't I learn? Every single day at WdKA is a new course. I have gained expertise in textiles, design, coding, interaction, User Experience, setting up new interfaces and of course how to use the most simple resources (paper, wood, metal, etc) in the most ordinary and extraordinary ways. But most of all, I learned how to combine my brain with my creativity, to create myself as a person and a network around me.

Favourite WdKA memory?

The devotion to my graduation project Fashion on Brainwaves, where I have been exploring the working of the brain and how emotions can be translated into clothing item. Being able to actually build it with the help of two hero-teachers: Contrechoc and Gerrit-Jan Vos, who did believe in me even when the others said this project could never work out. Months of research and hard work had finally resulted in creating the Fashion on Brainwaves collection. Now I call it a primitive prototype, exposing how emotions can be presented and revealed in clothing by translating your brainwaves into morphing fashion. This project has launched me on an international practice rollercoaster and has brought me to the stages all over the world and new collaborations with people from different industries and skills. At WdKA I have learned to speak the language of an artist as well as a scientist and an engineer.

What is the future of your profession in your opinion?

Working across the industries! Technological progress in augmented reality together with the open source will make it possible for everybody to become a designer. I believe that the future of fashion lays in using fashion as an interface bridging technology and innovation.

By pushing the boundaries and connecting different technologies to fashion, we have discovered different applications which can apply to different domains. During the past two years I have been working with companies - large and small (Nokia, Volkswagen, Microsoft) - not only to make the future visible and tangible but also to get the latest innovations faster to the market.

Since innovation is not something you do alone, the JasnaRok Lab is working on an international platform for highly-preferred partners. We can learn so much from each other by combining our diverse expertise across the industries and create a bigger impact on our world.

You never leave your house without...

An open mindset, there are opportunities all around us.

Any words of advice to future students?

The future is now. Dare to dream big. It takes hard work, but believe in your vision, be dedicated and you can make anything happen!

Name your favourite recent project.

My digital clone is currently in development. As I cannot be everywhere at the same time but our goal is to spread our vision around the world, we have created a holographic clone of Jasna Rokegem. One of my dreams is to be able to present on stage at several locations around the world at the same time. Can you imagine to "be" in Bahamas, Tokyo, New York all simultaneously? So, in the meantime, I can focus on making and building on what is really gonna make the difference in our lives in the lab. My goal is to create the ultimate garment (one garment that rules them all!) that adapts to your needs and identity and is connected to your brain. A dress that will change form, colour, will regulate its own temperature and will always stay clean.

I believe that the future is now, that fashion industry as we know it needs to be disrupted to make room for innovation. I have reinvented the Business model canvas into a new FashTech canvas.

Recently I have been listed as an Innovator under 35 by MIT Technology Review, have received the award as a leading woman in STEM and have been elected as Global Entrepreneur (subsequently representing Belgium at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in India, and I was invited to visit NASA headquarters in November.

During the recent April-May international tour we have been part of Mission to Russia 2018 (this article is in Dutch), FUEL, and& Leuven where together with professor Koen Kas I gave an expert keynote on the impact of health, tech and creativity on the future. Visit my website for more up-to-date news.

Everyone’s Talking about Jasna Rok Right Now, and Here Is Why.

Fashion on Brainwaves | Jasna Rokegem | TEDxRotterdam

Cover image: Jasna Rok at FUEL, photography: Philippe Wuyts