TECHNOSENSUAL: fashion meets tech

There's an exhibit curated by Anouk Wipprecht going on right now that you don't want to miss. The exhibition "TECHNOSENSUAL: where fashion meets technology" presents electronic textiles and wearable technologies created by international haute tech couture designers. The exhibition will open on June 14 at 20:00 at freiraum quartier21 INTERNATIONAL with performances by Bart Hess as well as Maartje Dijkstra and Beorn Lebenstedt aka Newk to kick off the "MQ Summer of Fashion". A preview will be presented at 11:00 in a press tour. Participants include Hussein Chalayan (TU/UK), Lucy McRae (AU), Bart Hess (NL), Studio Roosegaarde (NL), Ying Gao (CA), Maartje Dijkstra (NL), V2_lab (NL), Royal Philips Electronics (NL), Django Steenbakker (NL), Pauline van Dongen (NL), Nancy Tilbury (UK), Valérie Lamontagne (CA), Anouk Wipprecht (NL), Bogomir Doringer (RS), Rein Vollenga (NL), MoNo and many more. Continue reading at MQ

Dates: Jun 15 to Sep 2, daily 10:00-19:00 Venue: freiraum quartier21 INTERNATIONAL

Download the catalog here.

Exploring the relation between technology and intimacy

[gallery] The Intimacy series is a project by Daan Roosegaarde, Maartje Dijkstra, Anouk Wipprecht, V2_ Lab (Simon de Bakker, Stan Wannet, Piem Wirtz) and the team of Studio Roosegaarde (Peter de Man, João Carneiro). It consists of a growing number of gorgeous and evocative projects that investigate the relationship between technology and intimacy while considering the worlds of fashion, wearable technology and the electronic arts. The projects have already achieved international exposure and are often showcased in events and museums, helping to feed the ongoing dialogue about our contemporary technology-driven society.

The first of the series, designed by fashion designer Maartje Dijkstra titled Intimacy White, is made out of white e-foil that turns transparent to reveal the body based on your interactions with it (such as your proximity to the wearer).

The second dress, designed by fashion designer Anouk Wipprecht titled Intimacy Black, uses a newer version of the e-foil that transforms from black to transparent.

"The project[s] consist of high-tech garments made with wireless, interactive technologies and smart foils, which can become transparent. The distance towards the garments determines their level of transparency, creating an intimate experience and a sensual play of disclosure." continue reading on V2_Lab.

Images from V2_Lab.

Anouk Wipprecht creates fashion using Lumalive

(image via industrialnation.nl)

Anouk Wipprecht from the Netherlands creates incredibly beautiful garments that will make you drool. Her recent work explores the uses of Lumalive. One of the many beautiful elements of her work is that she takes advantage of the implied gestures in her garments such as pulling a large collar up and over your head for protection or pulling it down around your shoulders for warmth.

What I like about this piece is that she uses these gestures as the interactions that reveal the display. But gestures aren't the only thing that should be considered, there is also context and mode. Imagine the mode a wearer is in when she adjusts the garment. She might be getting ready to go from one place to another when the garment is pulled around the shoulder or up around the head. How could a display help aid in this state? Or perhaps she is at her destination when she drapes it over her shoulders. How might this affect the response and output of the technology?