Electricity flowing around the body. What an uncomfortable thought, writes Hannah Perner-Wilson. Yet she designed the Clothing that arranges the Body collection. The first prototype is a jacket that connects the flow of electricity between electrical gadgets scattered in five hidden pockets around the body.

CAB visualizes our dependency on mobile technology. We carry in our pockets and handbags all kinds of gadgets; we are systems of sorts – a set of draws, a storage box, a showcase for our collections of digital data plus their extension with the outside world. Both the garment’s apearance and use play with this fact that we spend every day within close proximity of electronic devices, within the flow of electricity around our bodies.

The pockets connect their content with the outside via the flow of electricity. Instead of regular plugs and plugholes the electrical current flows through material magnetic fastenings.

Seen at Tangible, audible, playable, wearable interface cultures, ars electronica 2006.