Illuminating textile madness

(image via Anke Loh)

There seems to be a lot of designers experimenting with fiber optics and Illuminating textiles. Anke Loh is one of my favorites. I love her unusual cuts, multi-layering technique, and her experimentation with technololgy. She had a show recently called Dressing Light, which showcased her explorations with fiber optics and Philip's lumalive technology.

Back in 2006, Suzanne Tick experimented with fiber optic-woven textiles. If you’ve ever worked with fiber optics, they can feel very plastic and stiff. She made her textiles appear to feel soft and flowy.

LumiGram created a line of fiber optic-infused garments called LumiTops aimed toward lounge and club-goers, on the market and available for purchase today.

Shape-shifting garments by Hussein Chalayan

Hussein Chalayan, one of my all-time favorite fashion designers, is constantly pushing the boundaries of what can be technologically integrated into his garments. His 2007 "A Hundred and Eleven" show in Paris ended with an incredible shape-shifting performance. Each garment told a story by starting with one era and morphing into another. Not only were the garments incredibly feminine and beautiful on the outside, Chalayan was able to seamlessly integrate the technology without compromising on aesthetics. Watch the end of this video for a demonstration: