Designers are using LED lights to brighten their fashion.
The fashion world just got a little brighter with Cute Circuit's latest Galaxy dress - a hot number that could light up any party.
The dress is made with 24,000 colored
LED light bulbs embroidered into silk. Overlays of chiffon diffuse the light, giving the silhouette a gentle glow. The sparkle of the LED bulbs is enhanced with over 4,000 hand applied Swarovski crystals.
The designers explain the construction is meant to make a green, wearable garment. In an email to Wired magazine they said, "We used the smallest full-color LEDs, flat like paper, and measuring only 2 by 2 mm," which allow the dress to "move like normal fabric."
While many online commentators applaud the artistic use of energy efficient lighting, there were mixed responses as to whether this type of garment will be the latest trend. One fan said she "couldn't wait" to see lit gowns on the red carpets of Hollywood, and another envisions Lady Gaga modeling similar pieces.
Still, others think
light bulbs are not meant for fashion. One skeptic called the dress, "a tent" saying designers cared more about surface area for the lights than the female form.
Love it or hate it, LED lights have found their place in contemporary apparel design.
According to Gizmodo, British designer Hussein Chalayan has made a whole line of LED dresses, and Mary Huang's Rhyme and Reason label is devoted to using LED lights, which she says make for "transformative fashion."