Hussein Chalayan Brings Animatronics To The Catwalk

Don't ever let me hear that men have the short straw when it comes to innovative fashion!  Hussein Chalayan wowed audiences with his incredible Spring/Summer 2007 catwalk show, packed to the gills with interesting – and in many cases unwearable – clothing for the ladies.  What might interest us geeky types, however, is the animatronics involved in some of Chalayan's more intriguing designs.

One such dress began as a high-necked Victorian gown (lest you should see your wife's ankles) and then, to a background of sounds and music from the twentieth century that included airstrikes and jingoistic speeches, gradually transformed itself – with no input from the statue-like model – with raising hemlines and shifting bodices into a twenties Swarovski crystal studded flapper dress.  Honestly, it has to be seen to believed, and luckily there's a video over at Swarovski Sparkles TV (be aware, towards the end of the video a dress transforms itself into a hat, leaving the model naked – NSFW unless your company approves of that sort of thing).

Perhaps this heralds a new age of multi-fashion clothing – a suit that is sensible for the office and then, at the touch of a discrete button in the cuff, retracts the trousers and sleeves and becomes a safari-suit-cum-party-outfit.  If creating such a thing is your new goal for 2006, you'll be interested in Showstudio's "making of" post.

Showstudio [via BoingBoing]