Fashion Interaction

An Interactive and Programmable LED Dress

Gholamali Balouch, a renowned designer, has created a groundbreaking piece of wearable technology called Fashion Interaction. This dress combines fashion, art, and technology to create a unique and interactive experience for the wearer and the audience.

The inspiration for Fashion Interaction comes from a variety of sources, including video games, digital automaton, the Game of Life, and Victorian romanticism. Balouch's aim was to create a garment that not only looks visually stunning but also engages with the user on a deeper level.

What sets Fashion Interaction apart from other designs is its communicative and interactive nature. The dress features a wearable LED screen matrix, which allows the user to interact with it using a joystick or other input devices such as a webcam or USB port. The programmable microchip at the core of the dress controls the LED screen, enabling a wide range of interactions and visual displays.

The technology behind Fashion Interaction is both complex and impressive. The dress consists of a 25x25 matrix of LED lights, sandwiched between three layers of technical textiles (reflector, softener, and diffuser), forming a skirt that is attached to the top corset. The programmable microchip, an Atmega, controls the LED screen, while the user can input commands and interact with the dress using a joystick.

The dress is designed to fit a size 42 and has a height of approximately 180 cm. Balouch worked tirelessly to overcome various challenges during the design and production process. One of the most significant hurdles was creating a soft and large LED screen that could be comfortably worn as a dress. Additionally, soldering 625 LEDs by hand and wiring the entire garment proved to be time-consuming and demanding tasks.

Fashion Interaction is not just a visually stunning piece of art; it also serves as a platform for communication and expression. The dress can display low-resolution video games, such as John Conway's Game of Life, as demonstrated in the photos. The possibilities for interaction and visual displays are endless, with the dress capable of connecting to various input devices, including joysticks, WiFi, Bluetooth, webcams, and more.

This groundbreaking design has received recognition and accolades in the industry. Fashion Interaction was awarded the Iron A' Design Award in 2011 in the Fashion, Apparel, and Garment Design category. This prestigious award is given to designs that are well-designed, practical, and innovative, meeting professional and industrial requirements. Fashion Interaction stands out for its integration of industry best practices, competent technical characteristics, and its contribution to a better world.