Fashioning Tech
  • Home
  • Fashion
    • Fashion

      Kinetic Couture: Introducing the Butterfly Dress

      January 25, 2017

      Fashion

      Kate Spade Brings Whimsy to Wearables

      August 29, 2016

      Fashion

      Aerochromics: Pollution Monitoring Garments Aim to Become A Sixth Skin

      August 17, 2016

      Fashion

      ‎BODYSONG‬./Glitchaus GLITCHJK Jacquard Bomber Jacket

      February 27, 2016

      Fashion

      3D Print and the Jewellery Industry: An Overview

      December 11, 2015

  • Fitness
    • Fitness

      Biomimicry and Sports Apparel

      August 15, 2016

      Fitness

      Bring A Little Bling To Your Workout with Misfit’s Solar-Powered Activity Trackers Made From Swarovski Crystals

      January 6, 2015

      Fitness

      Wearables in Contemporary Ballet

      November 18, 2014

      Fitness

      Fibers Software Transforms Your Fuelband Data into Art

      August 19, 2014

      Fitness

      Adidas Reissues Micropacer OG

      August 14, 2014

  • Healthcare
    • Healthcare

      Fashionable therapy brightens winter SADness

      July 30, 2015

      Healthcare

      Lightwear: An Exploration in Wearable Light Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder

      February 4, 2015

      Healthcare

      Vigour — A Gorgeous Wearable For Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy

      December 18, 2014

      Healthcare

      Space: What to wear?

      June 7, 2014

      Healthcare

      E-textile Pillow for Communication Between Dementia Patients and Family

      November 5, 2013

  • Wearables UX
    • Wearables UX

      Moff: Wearable Smart Toy For Kids

      August 21, 2014

      Wearables UX

      Temporary NFC Tattoo

      July 29, 2014

      Wearables UX

      Wearable Tech Guide to SXSW

      March 7, 2014

      Wearables UX

      PixMob’s LED beanies light up the SuperBowl by turning the crowd into human pixels

      February 3, 2014

      Wearables UX

      Cadbury Joy Jackets

      January 16, 2014

  • Interviews
    • Interviews

      Interview with Davide Vigano of Heapsylon

      April 30, 2014

      Interviews

      Make It Wearable Video Series by Creators Project

      April 3, 2014

      Interviews

      Interview with Sparkfun’s Dia Campbell

      March 26, 2014

      Interviews

      Interview with Julia Koerner

      March 20, 2014

      Interviews

      Interview with Akseli Reho from Clothing Plus

      March 17, 2014

  • Materials
    • Materials

      Conductive Tattoos Turn Your Skin Into An Interface

      August 24, 2016

      Materials

      Biofabrication: The New Revolution in Material Design

      August 23, 2016

      Materials

      Aerochromics: Pollution Monitoring Garments Aim to Become A Sixth Skin

      August 17, 2016

      Materials

      Biomimicry and Sports Apparel

      August 15, 2016

      Materials

      Smart Fabrics Conference May 11 – 13

      April 27, 2015

  • DIY
    • DIY

      Techno Textiles – Concordia University

      January 18, 2016

      DIY

      Smart Fabrics + Wearable Technology 2015 Review

      July 8, 2015

      DIY

      Explore and Learn from the Students of the Wearables Class at CCA

      April 19, 2015

      DIY

      Make It Wearable Winners

      November 4, 2014

      DIY

      JPG Data Knit Blanket Series from Glitchaus

      September 22, 2014

  • About

Fashioning Tech

for fashion futurists & wearable tech enthusiasts

  • Home
  • Fashion
    • Fashion

      Kinetic Couture: Introducing the Butterfly Dress

      January 25, 2017

      Fashion

      Kate Spade Brings Whimsy to Wearables

      August 29, 2016

      Fashion

      Aerochromics: Pollution Monitoring Garments Aim to Become A Sixth Skin

      August 17, 2016

      Fashion

      ‎BODYSONG‬./Glitchaus GLITCHJK Jacquard Bomber Jacket

      February 27, 2016

      Fashion

      3D Print and the Jewellery Industry: An Overview

      December 11, 2015

  • Fitness
    • Fitness

      Biomimicry and Sports Apparel

      August 15, 2016

      Fitness

      Bring A Little Bling To Your Workout with Misfit’s Solar-Powered Activity Trackers Made From Swarovski Crystals

      January 6, 2015

      Fitness

      Wearables in Contemporary Ballet

      November 18, 2014

      Fitness

      Fibers Software Transforms Your Fuelband Data into Art

      August 19, 2014

      Fitness

      Adidas Reissues Micropacer OG

      August 14, 2014

  • Healthcare
    • Healthcare

      Fashionable therapy brightens winter SADness

      July 30, 2015

      Healthcare

      Lightwear: An Exploration in Wearable Light Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder

      February 4, 2015

      Healthcare

      Vigour — A Gorgeous Wearable For Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy

      December 18, 2014

      Healthcare

      Space: What to wear?

      June 7, 2014

      Healthcare

      E-textile Pillow for Communication Between Dementia Patients and Family

      November 5, 2013

  • Wearables UX
    • Wearables UX

      Moff: Wearable Smart Toy For Kids

      August 21, 2014

      Wearables UX

      Temporary NFC Tattoo

      July 29, 2014

      Wearables UX

      Wearable Tech Guide to SXSW

      March 7, 2014

      Wearables UX

      PixMob’s LED beanies light up the SuperBowl by turning the crowd into human pixels

      February 3, 2014

      Wearables UX

      Cadbury Joy Jackets

      January 16, 2014

  • Interviews
    • Interviews

      Interview with Davide Vigano of Heapsylon

      April 30, 2014

      Interviews

      Make It Wearable Video Series by Creators Project

      April 3, 2014

      Interviews

      Interview with Sparkfun’s Dia Campbell

      March 26, 2014

      Interviews

      Interview with Julia Koerner

      March 20, 2014

      Interviews

      Interview with Akseli Reho from Clothing Plus

      March 17, 2014

  • Materials
    • Materials

      Conductive Tattoos Turn Your Skin Into An Interface

      August 24, 2016

      Materials

      Biofabrication: The New Revolution in Material Design

      August 23, 2016

      Materials

      Aerochromics: Pollution Monitoring Garments Aim to Become A Sixth Skin

      August 17, 2016

      Materials

      Biomimicry and Sports Apparel

      August 15, 2016

      Materials

      Smart Fabrics Conference May 11 – 13

      April 27, 2015

  • DIY
    • DIY

      Techno Textiles – Concordia University

      January 18, 2016

      DIY

      Smart Fabrics + Wearable Technology 2015 Review

      July 8, 2015

      DIY

      Explore and Learn from the Students of the Wearables Class at CCA

      April 19, 2015

      DIY

      Make It Wearable Winners

      November 4, 2014

      DIY

      JPG Data Knit Blanket Series from Glitchaus

      September 22, 2014

  • About
Materials

Liquid Geometrics and Light Paintings

written by Syuzi Pakhchyan June 15, 2011

Melding the past with the present, Amy Winters’ recent collection for AW ’11  projects a contemporary spin to “smart” fashion. According to Ms Winters, high-tech and “smart” clothes need not to be stitched with a “a futuristic, technical and andronyous spin.” Instead, Winters’ places what others may deem to be “futuristic fashion” in a contemporary context.

 

Blue Silk Petal Mini-dress. Hand-printed with glowing ink which shines vivid blue under UV conditions. 

 

In doing so, Winters’ creates a collection that is wearable, and more importantly, available today in boutiques in London, Tokyo and Hong-Kong. Her new AW’11 collection consists of gorgeous color and pattern shifting skirts, dresses, scarves and coats.

 

In addition, Winters designed a “showpiece” —  The Picasso Explosion — a spectacular sound reactive dress created with animated electroluminescent panels with morphing lines and shapes. 


I recently caught up with Ms. Winters to discuss her fantastic new collection. Enjoy the interview below.  

 

Orange Mondrian Coat. Hand-printed squares change colour in sunlight/UV light from white into light blue.


Your Autumn/Winter 11 collection pays homage to Yves Saint Laurent’s 1965 Piet Mondrian collection and 20th century modernist artists such as Picasso and Kandinsky. Why look to the past to design such forward-looking fashions today? Is this collection about retro-futurism? Do you even consider your work to be futuristic? 

 

I find that a lot of ‘smart-wearables’ today are designed with a futuristic, technical and andronyous spin which I find a bit clinical and over-serious. I think this can be a massive turn-off for the general public on what is actually a really exciting new medium. 

 

My primary aim is to create something beautiful; technology should be that extra special ingredient but not the sole focus.


My work is not about retro-futurism and I don’t consider my work to be futuristic although it has been described by many people like this. I love the 1960s and 70s, sports-wear, colour, and high-drama! Combining an emotional, nostalgic and dreamy vibe with the garment’s shapes and photography and then teaming this with fabrics which have magical qualities (changing colour, responding to sound) is interesting for me.

 

My primary aim is to create something beautiful; technology should be that extra special ingredient but not the sole focus.  I want to explore the expressive capabilities of emerging technologies and give them a new outlet. 

 

Picasso Explosion Sculpture-Dress. Neoprene tube dress with sculptured electroluminescent panels made of mirrored side panels. 

 

For this collection you also created Picasso Explosion, a sound-reactive dress that changes luminosity in accordance to volume. What inspired and motivated you to create this garment? 

 

My aim was to create a stunning visual experience for the audience, where the audience can interact, speak, clap and sing to the dress whilst watching it change.


This showpiece was inspired by paintings and sculptures which are created purely from light. I took inspiration especially from Cubist sculpture and geometrical light-blocking to create a garment which would serve as an interactive human light sculpture.

 

I took inspiration especially from Cubist sculpture and geometrical light-blocking to create a garment which would serve as an interactive human light sculpture.

 

Inside the electroluminescent panels are three-dimensional patterns and with a sound-sensor they animate according to volume. I wanted to combine a three-dimensional pattern within a three-dimensional structure.    

 

You seem to use technology and smart materials (colour changing inks) more as an expressive and performative medium than as a functional one. What role do you see technology playing in your work? How do you see your techno-palette, if you will, evolving over time?

 

Technology is like an extended paintbrush; scientists are perfectionists and like to make their work brighter, stronger, and faster. I work with technology as an artist. Sometimes we don’t need something super high-tech or only for a functional purpose. We can find new applications and rework existing technologies in an aesthetic way. 

 

My main focus in the future is to develop my work commercially. I would like to continue using light and water reactive inks in my commercial collections and would also love to bridge that gap between techno-fashion being purely a prototype and exhibition piece to something which can be mainstream.

 

I would also like to experiment with my ‘techno palette’ with sensors and combine this with colour-theory. Transformations, in nature whether it is with the weather, human emotions or even animals morphing into other creatures all can be mimicked and experimented with in unusual ways through the medium of technology.

 

Mondrian Grecian Maxi-Dress

Do you wear your own garments? 

Both! I love wearing my own ready-to-wear pieces and they are currently stocked in boutiques in London, Tokyo and Hong-Kong. The showpieces I design for the stage though rather than as an every-day garment. 

 

Picasso Scarf

When using new materials, I approach concepts with an open mind and with playful and childlike curiosity. Mistakes and experiments often lead to the best ideas.

 

What ideas are you interested in exploring next? 

 

My work is primarily about change, response and process and colour is also a strong theme throughout. I would like to play with various external inputs (in terms of the environment, sound, colour, and atmosphere) and experiment with their textile outputs to create dramatic costumes for the stage and music videos.

 

I would also like to explore texture; textures which changes depending on mood, a fabric which turns soft when you want to be comfortable and then turns a different texture when you need energising. 

 

Blue Silk-Satin Petal-Sleeved Top


When using new materials I approach concepts with an open mind and with playful and childlike curiosity, mistakes and experiments often lead to the best ideas.

 

Business-wise, the ready-to-wear side will continue to grow as I exhibit in Paris later this year at Paris Fashion Week and I’m working on a childrenswear line ‘Mini-Rainbow’, which will launch soon.  www.minirainbow.com

 

Best of luck Amy!  Looking forward to seeing future collections.


Liquid Geometrics and Light Paintings was last modified: June 15th, 2011 by Syuzi Pakhchyan
0 comment
0
Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
Syuzi Pakhchyan

Syuzi Pakhchyan is a user experience designer and author with a passion for crafting next generation wearable technologies. Syuzi is reimagining the design industry with her game-changing insights on the connection between technology and the human body

previous post
DareDroid 2.0 Cocktailmaking Dress
next post
MintDesign’s Impressive LED Headpieces

You may also like

Smart Fabrics Conference is Coming Up

Machine Felted Tilt Sensor

Voltmaker

Nomadic Wonderland — A DIY Approach to Sustainable Fashion

animated textiles

eTextile & Wearable Computing Fashion Show: Maker Faire NYC 2010

Reactive Wallpaper Visualizes Energy Consumption

LED Display Skirt

The First Wearable Midi Controller

Techno-Naturology: Dynamic and Responsive Architectural Skins

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Youtube
  • Email
Footer Logo

© 2016 Fashionging Tech. All rights reserved.


Back To Top