Technology and fashion are clearly on the brains of museum folk. Whetting our appetites for The Costume Institute’s “Manus x Machina” this May, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston will exhibit “#techstyle” next month, and this week Pratt’s Manhattan Gallery is showcasing its take on the theme with the exhibition “Coded_Couture.”
Curated by Ginger Gregg Duggan and Judith Hoos Fox, the show features work by 10 international designers who explore the ideas of customization through coding. More prototype than prêt-à-porter, the objects on view marry smart technology and fashion to produce highly conceptual pieces that look into the future—far into the future.
2032 was the year designer Amy Congdon estimates technology will align with her vision of jewelry composed entirely of the wearer’s own human cells—the mere monogram seems far from personal in comparison. CuteCircuit’s iMiniSkirt subverts the classic pleated mini with smart textiles and microelectronics, enabling the garment to project various digital animations, such as your own live Twitter feed. Other pieces take the Fitbit philosophy to the next level. Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman’s feathered capelet flutters in response to the wearer’s fluctuating heart rate—literal ruffled feathers to match an agitated temperament. Melissa Coleman’s Pinocchio-esque gold-plated cage dress produces a shock in exchange for untruths, and Ying Gao’s metamorphic cocktail dresses are triggered by an onlooker’s gaze, utilizing eye-tracking technology.
At a time when an iPhone cover is considered tech fashion, the pieces at Pratt propose and speculate what the future of wearable technology might look like. The next wave of designers may very well use pixels in lieu of textiles.
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