Lemondrop

We fell in love with designer Alison Lewis when we saw her amazing NY Times apartment makeover. After visiting her tech-meets-fashion blog, I Heart Switch, the love affair continued. She puts a sexy spin on otherwise "techy" stuff -- electronic sewing kits, glowing jewelry, even light-up doggie coats. (How can we resist?)

When she's not blogging about the next cool fashion innovation, she's showing us regular folks how we can incorporate technology into our everyday lives. (You mean our iPods don't count?) Lucky for us, Alison took a few minutes out of her busy life to answer a few of our questions -- what she reads, what she loves and what advice she has for budding fashionistas like you.

On combining technology + design: I visited Parsons School of Design in New York and saw students creating fashion that would expand and contract and loungewear for hearing-impaired children that would vibrate in the direction of the sound. Earlier in my career I had seen a wonderful interactive art exhibit by Bill Viola which allowed me to open my mind to things that could be possible, but I worried not having a science or technology background would be too great of a hurdle.

On "getting" technology: The day I visited Parsons, I never saw technology as over my head again. Once you realize you can do it, all it takes is following the appropriate steps to achieving that goal. Looking back, I find it funny to know that all it took was seeing technology in another context than computers or gaming to break down my own ideas about technology.

On inspiration: Everywhere from fashion magazines to looking at my dog's behavior to noticing how people interact. Other great resources? Textiles, and high-end design and couture lines. I also troll wedding blogs for ideas, and I like to look at the window displays in New York, specifically Barney's, Fendi, Diesel in Union Square and the best one, ABC Carpet and Home.

On naming her blog I Heart Switch: The name "Switch," was influenced by the logo design. The original blog name was "Wink," but Ken Tanabe designed this great magenta switch to house the words. I loved it so much we changed the name of the site from "Wink" to "Switch," and it became the backbone of everything the blog stands for. Our motto then became, "Turning girls on to technology through fashion, craft and design." I love the play on words, and I love switching fashion girls on to the powers of technology.

On design-y stuff she loves: I love 3-D printed jewelry. I love the idea of having a design I created in the computer pop up in real life. Also, the new materials on the runway have me drooling for some cool pleated top or origami-looking skirt. I'm also into Rodarte's tights from their 2008-09 collection. They're so cool-looking, like finely made, comfortable spider webs. Yum, I want to climb right into them.

On advice for aspiring tech-fashionistas: The only thing holding you back is your fear of something being over your head. Clear your mind and tell yourself it's something you can do. If you fail, try again. You didn't stop at the first sewing project you did or the first letters you wrote in cursive. You kept with it, and now you're fine! (If you like what Alison does, check out her book, "Switch Craft," which is designed for first-timers with a little sewing gumption.)

On Alison-approved tech/fashion sites: Instructables, How to Get What You Want, Make: Technology on Your Time, blog.craftzine.com, Threadbanger.

On the future for Alison Lewis: I'm working on an LED painting series with Perry Milou. I'm also hoping to create my own show for online or network TV. In the meantime, I continue to try to find technology companies who want to add a little female spin to their designs. The tech industry needs a little style, don't you think?

Want more? Hit up her blog I Heart Switch or tune in on October 26 to watch Alison get crafty with the DIY queen herself, Martha Stewart!