The ripply, skeletal bodice is 3D printed
(or rather, laser sintered) and laden with motion and respiratory
sensors that link back to the main processor. Approach it too quickly or
too aggressively and those arms spring into a defense position.
But, as
Wipprecht told Motherboard,
a more discreet saunter up to the wearer might be met with "smooth,
suggestive gestures". The dress takes into account how calm the user is
thanks to those sensors, which in a way makes the garment less of a
gussied-up wearable and more of an extension of the wearer's body.
Wipprecht is no stranger to the intersection of haute couture and
spindly machinery - she unveiled an earlier version of the spider dress
two years ago with the help of hacker-roboticist Daniel Schatzmayr that
drew in similar themes of personal space in an increasingly mechanized
world. This year's version though amps up the level of beautiful body
horror with a sleeker, more organic aesthetic that looks a little more
like something H.R. Giger would've dreamed up.
