LED-WIRED DRESS

FALL 2011 - SOFT GLOW DRESS DESIGN

With this dress design, Lizzie was awarded with the Eden Travel International Award from the International Textile and Apparel Association.  Lizzie also presented her design at the International Symposium on Wearable Computers in June of 2011 in San Francisco.

The design is inspired by contemporary light fixtures and the playful clusters of light bulbs on chandeliers.  The hard edges and sleek sculptural shape are juxtaposed with a softer, light bulb-inspired texture that creates visual balance in the dress and enhances the wearer’s femininity and sophistication. 

To date, most wearable designs that use LED illumination implements the LEDs in their “raw” form: as direct surface embellishment, creating discrete points of un-tempered light.  However, light as a medium offers color and intensity properties that exceed the capabilities of traditional materials.  Here, traditional and nontraditional materials were manipulated to alter the effect of bright LED lights and create a softer glow desired for its aesthetic value. The six LEDs were wired into the dress and are powered by a 9-volt battery pack, located inside the lampshade structure at the hip.