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Samsung launches ‘HumanFit’ wearable platform brand at IFA

September 3, 2015

A model poses wearing a Smart Suit 4.0, the latest in menswear made by Samsung C&T Corp. that is equipped with NFC technology, at the IFA in Germany on Sept. 3, 2015. (Photo courtesy of Samsung C&T)

SEOUL (Yonhap) — Samsung C&T Corp., the fashion and trading arm of South Korea’s top conglomerate Samsung Group, debuted its own brand for wearable platforms applied to fashion items in Germany on Thursday, as it bolsters its apparel business by infusing the latest mobile technology.

It introduced “HumanFit” at the consumer electronics exhibition IFA in Berlin, for the first time as a Korean fashion enterprise.

The brand, which stands for human fashion in technology, encompasses all electronic devices developed by Samsung C&T’s fashion division that are incorporated into its clothing and accessories, it said.

The launch is seen as Samsung C&T’s first step taken after it merged the namesake affiliate on Sept. 1. Formerly known as Cheil Industries Inc., it announced a plan in late May to merge with the group’s construction arm as part of an asset shake-up at the country’s most powerful conglomerate.

Among the showcased items at the IFA was the Smart Suit 4.0 by Rogatis, its flagship menswear, that comes with a Near Field Communication (NFC) tag embedded in the sleeve button, an upgrade from the NFC-connected pocket in the previous line.

When it’s connected to the mobile app designed specifically for HumanFit items, it can transmit the wearer’s e-business card to another person’s smartphone and also change the smartphone setting by detecting wrist movement, such as, to in-office or driving mode.

Another item is On Bag, an IT-infused purse with a built-in battery module, which allows the user to charge a smartphone without a cable and check the remaining battery. Samsung C&T said it plans to apply it to other accessories items.

The company also unveiled a NFC-tagged mobile wallet, which will be released on home turf this fall, along with a bio-smart shirt under development with help of Samsung Electronics Co, that will function to track the wearer’s heart beat and respiration.

Samsung C&T said it will step up efforts to launch new fashion-led wearables in future, by applying mobility and fitness that could offer consumers more convenience.