Anyone who knows me knows I'm a sucker for a great outfit, so if tech is in any way involved in the design, I'm all in. Andrea Lauer is one of the most innovative designers using technology in her creations.

That's why I support this woman's work.

Award-winning costume designer, stylist and fashion designer Andrea Lauer is the founder and chief creative officer of Risen From the Thread, a creative firm that focuses on the intersection of technology, material science and the human body.

1) What do you think is the best way to enhance the experience of fashion?

What is crucial to enhancing an experience is the personal connection and access. Let's engage on a more individual level, bringing our dreams into the physical world and creating immersive environments that trigger memory and create new ones. It's creating more theater in the world of fashion. The magic of theater is that it is so alive. No single experience can be replicated, and those experiences are guided by the aesthetics of text, sound, design and movement. It is a tradition based on an unspoken agreement between audience and performer.

By incorporating technology into the things we wear, that theater magic can become part of our daily lives. It can allow us to sincerely connect with our own stories and the stories of others. Technology can transform fashion into a living thing, an ever-evolving performance.

2) How do you find your inspiration?

Inspiration is everywhere — the subway, an incidental movement, books, music, food, art, conversation — but the key is that you never know when you'll find it. Inspiration just happens. I think the best I can do is to just honor all my senses. You have to pay attention in this world in order to get lost enough to find what you are looking for.

One of my first tech projects was inspired by an article I read in Juxtapoz magazine. I wasn't deliberately seeking out inspiration; I was trying to just let my mind rest. But in this moment, I came across one of the pivotal garments that changed the way I thought about threads and the interpretation of the past. This led me into my first exploration of e-textiles. I came to it by chance, but it changed my point of view of the work I felt I needed to create, even though at that moment, I had no idea how. This led to many other projects that explore this intersection, which have led me beyond performance and art and into the world of sports, medicine, fashion and the merging of as many disciplines as possible.

3) What is your earliest memory of wanting to work in fashion?

When I was a kid, around 7 years old, I stopped watching the Smurfs and started watching Elsa Klensch's show about fashion and style on CNN. The only time the Smurfs ever crossed my mind again was when I'd wonder how Smurfette might look in a pair of fetching trousers. I also showed up to my first career day in elementary school dressed as a priest, but I suspect it was all because of the long ornamental scarf, which looked like something from the TV series "Maude." It was less about the role and more about the pageantry. I wanted to be different. I wanted to be seen. And when you are in a Texas grade school and you show up in Dad's oversized shirt and Mom's stole, people will definitely turn their heads.

4) How do you pick whom you collaborate with?

I look for people who are risk takers in all sorts of fields and who have a sense of humor. Collaborators who expose me to different types of work and skills and value process are ideal. In turn, I am pushed to learn new things and overcome limitations, which makes all actions an opportunity to grow. It makes you brave. What I love the most about the kind of work I pursue is that it can only happen with collaboration. Wearable technology is still an unknown frontier where it takes many highly skilled people both in the analog and the digital world to succeed.

One of my collaborators, action architect and choreographer Elizabeth Streb, is an excellent example of a maverick and an artist that has amplified my skills. She is an expert on the body and movement, creating split-second stories with every action. As a costume designer for her company, I expanded my knowledge of anatomy, athleticism and material science in order to create vessels for the body that let the audience engage but also protected the dancer's body. It is the trust between us that makes the work successful.

Randi Zuckerberg is the founder of Zuckerberg Media, a best-selling author and the host of a weekly business show on SiriusXM, "Dot Complicated." To find out more about Randi Zuckerberg and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.