Last Tuesday, Toronto’s Yonge-Dundas Square transformed into a wearable tech wonderland. Best Buy Canadashowcased dozens of wearable tech products, and had nearly 30 activations and booths sprawled across the Square to help guests understand this fast-growing electronics category. To demonstrate how stylish wearable tech is becoming, Best Buy also held two fashion shows showcasing more than 40 of today and tomorrow’s hottest products with each show including some star power as well.
In alphabetical order based on the brands represented, here’s a recap of the celebrities that made an appearance at Best Buy Canada’s Life & Tech Wearable Tech Expo and Fashion Show:
Bellabeat
Phoebe Dykstra
The former TV host and veejay for both Much Music and MTV Canada showcased the wearable jewelry at its finest through Bellabeat. Crafted using quality materials like 100 per cent wood for its housing, Bellabeat is a stylish wearable can be worn as a necklace, bracelet or pin as it monitors activities such as sleep, breathing and menstrual cycle.
Dykstra chatted-up Bellabeat among fans at their booth, as well as twice during the fashion shows wearing custom clothing by designer Sunny Fong of VAWK and the winner of Project Runway Canada Season Two. She also discussed how Bellabeat helps improve her life during a panel about health and fitness.
Best Buy Canada
Sunny Fong
The winner of Project Runway Canada season two was commissioned by Best Buy to design and create a custom 10-piece collection exclusive to the Best Buy Life & Tech Wearable Tech event. Fong’s resulting capsule collection with is fashion haus, VAWK, won praise by guests who saw both shows in person, as well as on Canada’s national morning show, CTV Canada AM. Watch four of the 10 outfits on live TV by clicking the image below:
Blast Motion
James Johnson
Toronto Raptors forward and fan favourite, James Johnson was brought to the event by Blast Motion, maker of sports activity trackers spanning action sports, golf, baseball and of course, basketball. Johnson played one-on-one against guests, posed for photos and signed autographs during the afternoon.
Gameband
MrWoofless
Preston Playz
Two members of the famous Minecraft #ThePack drew huge line-ups from fans at the Gameband booth. The high-energy duo delighted fans of all ages and drew big applause from the audience during Best Buy’s evening fashion show. Gameband is a band that allows Minecraft gamers to take their play anywhere. Check out Mr Woofless’ and Preston Playz strutting the catwalk here:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEFy7UQ0bEs]
The House of Marley
Ky-Mani Marley
Rohan Marley
Patrick Patterson
The House of Marley brought three big names in the wearable audio business: brothers Rohan and Ky-Mani Marley and Patrick Patterson from the Toronto Raptors basketball team. Rohan Marley brought his charismatic self to tell The House of Marley story behind their wearable audio products, including wired and wireless headphones, Bluetooth speakers and their mandate of featuring sustainable materials in all their creations. The former Miami Hurricane and CFL football player met with fans and also spoke of Marley on the stage on a panel about sports wearable tech.
Rohan’s brother Ki-Mani Marley is a famed rapper and reggae artist. Outside meeting fans, Ky-Mani ended off the epic wearable tech and fashion show with a live performance, complete with DJ Corey Chase, live band and backup singers.
Toronto Raptors’ forward Patrick Patterson drew crowds at The House of Marley Van and activation area. There, he met fans and wore some of his favourite Marley headphones and showed his support of the Marley movement in wearable audio. It’s clear Patterson is a fan of House of Marley on and off the court.
Muse
Elvis Stojko
The Olympian and race car driver Elvis Stojko knows the importance of meditation and the benefits it has on preparing for performances on the big stage, including the world stage of figure skating. Although the Muse Brain-Sensing Headband wasn’t available for sale when Stojko was in his prime competing in the Olympics for Canada, as a competitive race car driver, he turns to Muse as a high-tech, modern way to meditate, even buying Muse on his own from his local Best Buy Canada store. Stojko shared his Muse story on the mainstage during the sports panel at Best Buy’s Life & Tech event, and also walked the runway twice in the day.
Zepp
Jason Helman
Canadian PGA golfer Jason Helman teamed up with Zepp Labs, maker of sports sensors that analyze baseball, softball, tennis and golf swings, to show guests how their product works through live demos. Whiffle balls (safety first) could be hit off a mini green into a net to have their swing analyzed, then critiqued by Helman. The swings were valuable for some, as Zepp gave away autographed jerseys hand-signed by Toronto Blue Jays superstar third baseman, Josh Donaldson, and tennis polos signed by Canadian tennis sensation, Milos Raonic.
To check out more of the action from the recent Best Buy wearable tech event, type in #LifeandTech in the search fields of Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
