Lisa Stead’ s Emotional Wardrobe is a collection of garments that represent and stimulate emotional response through technology-enhanced aesthetics. The pieces of clothing change their aesthetic display in response to the emotions of the wearer or the presence of a viewer.
The Emotional Wardrobe comprises of both worn and unworn garments.
The worn garment responds to the wearer via body sensors, translating an inferred change in emotional state with a change in the garment aesthetics. LEDs create various patterns of colour, which glow from behind contours in the dress. The rhythmic patterns associated with music and emotion and could be used to improve self-awareness of moods or enhance and explore social interaction and self-expression. This concept could also encourage interaction between the wearer and society.
The most interesting part (to me) of Lisa Stead’s research is the unworn garments which ‘live’ around the house. They suggest that clothing left unworn could assume an emotive function by reacting to human presence. By representing human characteristics, fears and fantasies, they seek to provoke paradoxical emotions in the viewer.
Desiree (picture above) is a dress of electroluminescent ‘sequins’ that flirts with the viewer. When she senses your presence she shimmers, her signals becoming more excited as you draw nearer, imitating the human gaze during the ritual of flirting. Pikme is a scarf that hangs on a coat stand by the front door. She feels distressed and lonely. As you prepare to leave the house, she gradually reveals more of her pain to you, linking proximity with intimacy. Pikme uses electroluminescent wire woven within a tactile knit and motion sensors to activate her response. The Icaris is a feathered jacket who suffers from low self-esteem and fear. Stressed by the pressures of the outside world, she loses her feathers. If encouraged to move her wings, the motion will cool the feathers to aid her flight. The jacket uses thermochromic inks and conductive heating materials with timers to initiate the colour change in the feathers.
Pictures source.