Fashion trends indicate what’s happening in our culture, both today and throughout history. From mini skirts emerging in the feminist 60s, to big shoulder pads of the living large 80s, personal style can tell a story about our changing times.

Currently NYC’s Fashion Week is in full swing, giving us the opportunity to analyze the latest trends. This year, designers are reinventing iconic cowboy styles, so we are pondering the significance of the “Wild, Wild West”.

Some say healthcare reform is unbridled territory, but technology is also changing the landscape like a wildfire. From social media, mobile devices, and innovations in big data, companies see a “gold rush” of opportunity with plugged-in lifestyles.

Our collective tech addiction may clash with rugged looks spotted on runways.  Nevertheless, consumers can be renegades when it comes to voicing opinions prolifically.  Successful tech companies have learned to please beyond the nerd circle, and take social data very seriously.

This may explain why wearable tech has been forced to get a makeover. The days of clunky 80s Casio digital watches are over.  From Google Glass now accommodating prescription lenses, to Pebble smart watches making digital wrist wear look beautiful, consumers are modern cowboys demanding what they want.

While we don’t know how disruptive wearable tech will be, it’s clear that consumers are in charge here. Apple’s rumored iWatch may be emerging on the horizon, but tech’s unpredictability still runs this rodeo.