Blending fashion design with science and technology, designers create garments that interact with the human emotional state. The latest example is the Emotional Clothing project designed by Iga Węglińska.
Multidisciplinary designer Iga Węglińska has designed 2 new garments that interact with emotions using a technique used in the health field called biofeedback. Biofeedback is a technique that helps to become more aware of the physical functions of the body and to better control these functions.
The designs, made of smart materials and responding to factors such as body temperature, galvanic skin response, heart rate and proprioception, aim to awaken cognitive engagement and mindfulness. Clothing visually shows the signals of psychophysiological changes occurring in the wearer’s body from the outside.
The designs act as a sensory prosthesis for the human body using unidirectional and bidirectional feedback, while at the same time aiming to initiate a new discussion on the role and function of clothing. The materials used form a kind of bridge between the wisdom of human skin and the world of advanced technology
The emotional clothing design is a part of a PhD dissertation titled “Human–Object Interaction. Textiles – New Technologies” by Iga Węglińska at the industrial design department academy of fine arts in Krakow.
The aim of the dissertation is to show that the use of smart materials in clothing plays an important role in the development of the user’s ‘sense of participation’. At the same time, Węglińska reveals that it can be used to expand the clothing experience.
