Techies and designers collaborate for Make Fashion Gala
A model saunters down the runway wearing an LED-illuminated dress that slowly changes from orange to blue to purple as she walks.
A barefoot woman dances in front of the crowd wearing a black dress with motion activated lights embedded in the front.
A gentleman struts up the catwalk wearing a lit fedora, posing at the end to nod at the crowd.
Welcome to the Make Fashion Gala, a wearable technology fashion show held last month at Endeavor Arts. The catwalk showcased new-age pieces that wove together hi-tech electronics and iconic clothing.
Photo courtesy of Krystal NortThe event was the brainchild of Shannon Hoover, owner of Endeavor Arts, who said the next revolution of technology is going to be wearable.
More than 150 attendees arrived at the gallery to be inspired by the work of several techies and designers, many of who had worked for months to create their pieces.
Vlad Lavrovsky, a programmer and biochemist, jumped at the opportunity to participate in Make Fashion. Lavrovsky believed it would give him the opportunity to experiment with new technologies.
He teamed up with Carsen Kendel, a business student at Mount Royal University, who has already established an illuminated clothing business called Night Envy.
Along with a team of designers, Lavrovsky and Kendel created a stunning performance piece that closed the gala.
Their creation was a luminescent ball gown worn by a woman who performed a choreographed dance with two men wearing illuminated chest tattoos.
While the duo hoped that their piece would be inspiring to people, they also said they hoped the event would help commercialize their product.
Kendel said, “We’re going to bridge the gap between the seemingly unrealistic and the mainstream fashion movement.”
