Amisha Gadani’s Skink Dress mimics a skink lizard’s ability to shed its tail when attacked. (image via amishagadani.com)
LOS ANGELES — It’s easy in this day age to forget that we humans wear clothing to protect our hairless, fragile bodies from the elements. Clothing has become synonymous with fashion, as items like bracelets and belts have been largely divorced from their original protective roles.
I recently stumbled across the work of Los Angeles artist Amisha Gadani, an artist-in-residence at a science lab in UCLA. Gadani has created a series of “interactive wearables” that mimic the protective features of animals in a fun way, marrying fashion with science.
Gadani demonstrates her Porcupine Dress in action. Amisha Gadani’s Skink Dress mimics a skink’s ability to shed its tail when attacked. (image via amishagadani.com)
Her Porcupine Dress, for instance, appears harmless to the casual observer, but as soon as Gadani bares her back, protective spins pop out. As she writes on her web site, “In this way the user braces themselves for the possibility of an attack while simultaneously decreasing the probability of an attack by the sudden and alarming display.” No word yet on whether the spines fly out.
My favorite is the Blowfish Dress, which Gadani demos in a fun runway show. As she walks down the catwalk, an attacker approaches her from behind. Her dresses quickly puffs up, thus scaring off the would-be assailant. I remember coming across a blowfish once while snorkeling in the Philippines. They look harmless, but suddenly — poof — it’s time to get out of there.
Blowfish Dress from Amisha Gadani on Vimeo.
(h/t Christina Agapakis)
Tails, horns, wings and fangs oh my! EyeDoll http://www.flickr.com/photos/punktoad/6963552155/in/photostream