Daan Roosegaarde with Studio Roosegaarde
Interactive fashion INTIMACY 2.0
Self-Commissioned
Interactive fashion INTIMACY 2.0
Interactive fashion INTIMACY 2.0
INTIMACY is a fashion project exploring the relation between intimacy and technology. Its high-tech garments are made out of opaque smart e-foils that become increasingly transparent based on close and personal encounters with people.
The latest INTIMACY 2.0 features Studio Roosegaardeʼs new, wearable dresses composed of leather and smart e-foils which are daringly perfect to wear on the red carpet. In response to the heartbeat of each person, INTIMACY 2.0 becomes more or less transparent.
Here social interactions determine how transparant you want to be, creating a sensual play of disclosure.
2. The Brief: Summarize the problem you set out to solve. What was the context for the project, and what was the challenge posed to you?In a world shifting between the analog and the digital, Studio Roosegaarde creates interactive designs that explore the dynamic relation between space, people, and technology. The studio develops its own technology and is internationally known for interactive projects such as Dune and Sustainable Dance Floor.
Studio Roosegaarde is the home of artist Daan Roosegaarde and his team of designers and engineers. By creating interactive designs that instinctively respond to sound and movement, Roosegaarde explores the dawn of a new nature that is evolving from technological innovations.
Roosegaarde has been the focus of exhibitions at the Tate Modern, the National Museum in Tokyo, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and winner of the Dutch Design Award and China’s Most Successful Design Award. Studio Roosegaarde also has a strong experience with public space commissions for the City of Rotterdam, Singapore, Eindhoven and Stockholm.
This connection, established between ideology and technology, results in what Roosegaarde calls “techno-poetry”.
3. The Intent: What point of view did you bring to the project, and were there additional criteria that you added to the brief?“How can we use technology to generate more human interactions and create this “Techno-poetry”?” “What happens when social media jumps out the computerscreen?”
These were our questions. The challenge was to use technology as our second skin, not as a scary Orwell scenario but more as Leonardo Da Vinci motive (supernatural). Fashion seemed like the field to explore this relation we have with technology.
The idea manifested itself in a design which is high-tech yet very sensual at the same time. INTIMACY 2.0 consist out of two dresses (Black and White) like evil sisters they are the same but different. Via interacting with the visitor the dresses become transparent, disclosing the human body.
To quote designer Roosegaarde: “It’s not about the color of her lipstick, it is about if she can kiss or not.” INTIMACY is not about esthetics, but about behavior.
4. The Process: Describe the rigor that informed your project. (Research, ethnography, subject matter experts, materials exploration, technology, iteration, testing, etc., as applicable.) What stakeholder interests did you consider? (Audience, business, organization, labor, manufacturing, distribution, etc., as applicable)In collaboration with a flexible e-paper manufacturer a flexible material was developed to make the wearable dress. Its technology comes from the LCD industry, working with liquid crystals. But INTIMACY pushes this research towards a more flexible and wearable product. The result: INTIMACY WHITE changes from white to transparent, INTIMACY BLACK transforms from black to transparent.
Together with the engineers from Studio Roosegaarde and young fashion designers the design was further developed. Wearability was important but also flexible electronics and battery life. The first interactive dresses were immediately famous online with Washington Post headlines “Dresses that make you flirt”.
More development was made, including a voice recognition so INTIMACY could interact with the sweet words of your boyfriend.
Right now numerous requests are received by hipsters wanting to buy one for their own, interactive red carpet moment. (Lady Gaga anyone?)
INTIMACY shows we live in a new digital world, with new ways of expressing emotions.
5. The Value: How does your project earn its keep in the world? What is its value? What is its impact? (Social, educational, economic, paradigm-shifting, sustainable, environmental, cultural, gladdening, etc.)INTIMACY has been exhibited in international Art & Design musea:
04.18.2012 — Central Museum of Textiles Lodz, PL
03.09.2012 — Liberation of Light Eindhoven, NL
12.12.2011 — Siggraph Asia Hong Kong, HK
12.09.2011 — Winterlicht Schiedam, NL
12.05.2011 — Le Campus TIO3 Renaix, BE
09.30.2011 — Museo del Tessuto Prato, ITA
05.03.2011 — Palacio de la Merced, Córdoba ES
05.02.2011 — Pretty Smart Textiles, Herning DE
02.15.2011 — Meseu Maritim, Barcelona ES
Also many conversations happened on the internet, discussing the relation between privacy and technology:
TIME magazine 15 days ago
“The Lazy Girl’s Dating Aid: A Dress That Flirts For You”
marc2377 12 days ago via Youtube
“I’m gonna make a virus for that 
Guess what will the virus do?”
JoachimSchipper 10 days ago via TIME magazine
“Do women want this?”
CNET News 5 days ago
“Intimacy 2.0 dress plays high-tech peek-a-boo. You would have to be pretty comfortable with your own nekkidness to wear this garment out in public!”
Esther via via Twitter 1 day ago
“WHO “DARES” TO WEAR IT?!”
Shane via via Twitter 1 day ago
“Perverted innovation
”
Sara Macey via Engadget 2 days ago
“I want one!! <3″
Currently Studio Roosegaarde is selecting haute couture designers to develop their own vision for the next INTIMACY. From ‘wearable’ to ‘sellable’. Winning this award would push this research to a new level.
Great use of technology on the body, we would like to see this material developed further next year. If it could be woven as 1/8 inch strips as a pseudo fabric, this material could get very interesting.