I went to this exhibition, and I felt empowered to say that I really didn't "get Lucy Orta's works." I even read about Lucy Orta's work, nevertheless, it didn't speak to me. It must have been "too-conceptually elitist" for me. I really enjoyed the other designers' works. One was Issey Miyake's piece, and another designer tried to translate a digital piece into fabric medium, which I think he/she succeeded. I'm not sure if it was a CAD drawing of bones or something structural, translated into an ephemeral outfit with Sumi ink prints.

Lucy Orta

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Readings:

"Fashioning The Future: Tomorrow's Wardrobe"
"Extreme Textiles"

Thoughts on the Readings

Historically, fashion's expression of technology relies on the "imagery of science." I believe the reason why wearable technologies hasn't significantly advanced is because there is a disconnect in communication between the engineers and the creatives. The cost and variety of new materials are not readily available for research. Some of the limits include programmable textiles, low-voltage conductivity, and the reliability of these these materials.

There are some interesting works by Softswitch and Rachel Wingfield, both looking for inspiration in history. Softswitch designed a jacket for snowboarders, which was inspired by an astronaut's glove, to control and play music. Rachel Wingfield's designs help people with Seasonal Affective Disorder, specifically, light affecting mood. I am interested in making "play" more meaningful with wearables.