5.10.10

CuteCircuit blazing through the Celebrity Circuit

Wearable electronics are finally going mainstream. CuteCircuit, a fashion label that is headed in part by an electrical engineer, has been designing electronic textiles for years. Their work finally came into the spotlight when Katy Perry wore a custom-made LED dress at the infamous Met Costume Institute Gala in New York. Thanks to the combined effect of Perry's celebrity status and the media frenzy that follows the Met Ball, the dress was all over the press.

It generated so much interest that other pop stars of the Katy Perry-type took notice. Rihanna wore a Moritz Waldemeyer-built LED dress onstage the following week. A month later, Safura wore one made by (again) CuteCircuit.

In fact, CuteCircuit, and powered garments in general, have been in the press for a long time. It just took the right kind of press to get them into the mainstream. WIRED and Computerworld took notice of them years ago, but the Katy Perry collaboration caught the attention of Grazia, Hello!, OK, The Daily Mail, Women's Wear Daily, etc.

Katy said, ‘I think sometimes in fashion it can get a little stuffy so I wanted to lighten up!’. She lit it up with her LEDs. It's very interesting to see how this exchange between the celebrity world and the electronic textile world has also sparked new life into wearable electronics, which up to now, hadn't successfully broken through into the mainstream. So what next for CuteCircuit?


They have designed a new line of light-up dresses to be available exclusively at Selfridges. The "K Dress", for example, was featured in the Selfridges Christmas Press Release, and will retail for £1,350.

Links:
Safura Takes The Stage at Eurovision Song Contest in CuteCircuit

http://www.cutecircuit.com/press/

2 comments:

  1. LEDs are also making their way into shoes...these are pretty fantastic: http://www.anastasiaradevich.com/site/index-2.html#

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  2. Thanks for the link, Kathleya. I like the patterns she's made with the LEDs. Actually, her old shoes are also amazing. Cool!

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