Wearable technology is much more than smartwatches and bracelets – as Pauline van Dongen realizes. The Dutch designer has used photovoltaics and solar technology in her futuristic couture fabrics, but the sleeves are no less stylish. Pauline van Dongen’s designs may look stylish on the outside, but underneath they hide an entire integrated circuit with solar cells that collect energy (supplied to a standard plug), enough to charge mobile devices. If solar technology isn’t a selling point, Dongen’s eye for fashion is enough to attract customers. This balanced attitude that does not favor either side explains her continuous exploration in the field of grafting fashion and technology.
“My work is the product of the fusion of fashion and various categories of technology,” Dongen said. “I create new values and design methods for fashion by using new technologies. Not just in terms of functionality, but also people expressing themselves through clothing. The various ways in which clothing interacts with the body… For example, clothing can keep people warm, generate energy, change shape, facilitate people’s daily activities, etc. Therefore, the clothes we wear have become a kind of intimacy. Interfaces allow us to communicate with the outside world in unique and sometimes unforeseen ways.”
Dongen explained that technology is not only a tool for her, but also an aesthetic. Material properties enhance aesthetic expression. “There is a strong focus on materiality in my work because I believe that the future of fashion is predicated on movement and change. Now, designers can use computer programs to design pixel by pixel, which makes it possible to design new performance, creating materials that can perform on the body. “This goes beyond the selection of fabrics, but the invention of new materials.
Talking about the source of inspiration, Dongen said: “I constantly use the interaction between people and the surrounding environment to design. I am fascinated by concepts such as change, movement, energy, perception, etc., because they are closely related to the way we experience the world. “On this basis, Dongen also hopes to transform technology into a more humane and intuitive form. “An important part of my job is to frequently communicate with professionals in other fields, who are engaged in fields not directly related to fashion. Listening to the stories they tell always inspires me, challenges me, and stimulates new ways of thinking,” she explain. Other times, Dongen’s work revolves around research, trade shows and talks. “Experimental” is the key word in her creation. Over the years, the future-oriented fashion series she designed have laid a solid foundation for her more outstanding works in the future, and she has also continued to rewrite the chapter where technology and fashion are intertwined.
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