Studio 5050: The Masai Dress

I had been actively experimenting with alternative interfaces, gestural and bodily input as well as creating contained "bubbles" of interaction, when a friend and world traveler gave me a Masai beaded collar. One day as I was cleaning my studio, I put the collar on and was immediately struck by the way it was brushing against the body, the swinging and playful motion it created.

Some ideas are laboured and a result of careful examination of various possibilities, while others are an a-ha! moment. Making a dress with conductive threads running on its front with a variation of a Masai collar made of silver beads (silver is conductive) that emits sounds on contact was such an a-ha! moment.

In keeping with the provenance of the collar the beads are hand-formed in Africa and meticulously beaded with thick conductive thread. The collar itself is made of leather by a craftsman in Vermont, and the design of the dress borrows elements from around the world maintaining a bell like, fluid form in order to evoke a stroll in the city on a cool summer's day where every step contributes to its own atmosphere.

The selection of sounds proved to be the most challenging part but after much experimentation with a multitude of sounds and directions I stumbled upon
Neil Mills' Number Poem for 2 Voices. Both the aural effect and the idea of extending the Mills' notion of the human voice functioning as an instrument by adding the gestural aspect, made this piece the natural choice for the Masai dress.

Sound: Neil Mills' (with Elaine Mills) Number Poem for 2 Voices (two sections).

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• wearables
• smart fabrics
• conductive threads
• serendipity
• technofashion