With the advent of the Internet of Things, seemingly everything around us is becoming connected. Our cars, our homes, and yes, even our clothing. Whether it’s shirts that respond to the environment or 3D-printed fabric, modern-day technology is poised to have a profound affect on the future of fashion.
One of the pioneers in this space, CuteCircuit, has been merging tech and fashion into interactive clothing with the help of Atmel MCUs since the company launched back in 2004. Over the last decade, the London-based studio has gained quite a bit of attention. It all started in 2006 when the Hug Shirt (yes, it gave real hugs) was named one of TIME Magazine’s best inventions. In 2008, creators Ryan Genz and Francesca Rosella went on to devise a SIM card-equipped M Dress that allowed its wearer to receive and make calls without carrying a phone in their pocket or purse. Two years later, they would catch the eye of pop star Katy Perry who adorned her body with a glowing gown fitted with 3,000 microLED lights at the Met Gala. And just a few months ago, CuteCircuit collaborated with easyJet to design futuristic, illuminating uniforms for the European budget airline’s flight attendants and grounds crew.
But most recently, the team unveiled the MFA Dress — a specially commissioned outfit capable of accepting tweets and then displaying them via 10,000 microLEDs on the garment’s exterior. Now on display at the Museum of Fine Arts as part of the exhibition #techstyle, guests can watch their message scroll across in real-time by simply tweeting #tweetthedress. What’s more, they can even use an iPad to send the dress video animations that show various works of art, including some from the MFA’s very own collection.
If this sounds a bit familiar, that’s because Genz and Rosella are no strangers to social media-driven attire. In fact, the duo was commissioned by UK mobile carrier EE in 2012 to develop the world’s first haute couture Twitter Dress for Nicole Scherzinger, embellished with over 2,000 triangular Hematite Swarovski Elements and thousands of microLEDs. This enabled the gown to show live updates from the singer’s fans as she walked the red carpet.
What truly sets their latest creation apart, though, is that the MFA Dress plays animated versions of the museum’s masterpieces with brilliant color depth. This was made possible through much more advanced technology, as well as an amazing fashion design and construction method. Intrigued? You can read more about the MFA exhibit here, or head over to CuteCircuit’s page to explore their entire portfolio. Can’t wait to see what’s next!