U.S. designer Zac Posen showcased his Zac by Zac Posen diffusion line at an auditorium at Industria Superstudio, which was the first major show to kick off New York Fashion Week, reported Mashable.
The LED gown designed by Posen lit up the catwalk with sparkling lights, and is created in different segments allowing it to light up in various patterns. According to Posen, the dress was inspired by “Los Angeles after dark.”
Maddy Maxey a fashion engineer and mentor at Made with Code aided in the design of the dress, a Google-backed initiative. The dress was designed with a circuit infused into the textile to create different animations.
Posen and Maxey worked closely together during every part of the design. After selecting the pattern of the dress, they decided on the positioning of hte LED segments.
"It's an extensive process both from a technology standpoint and from a fashion perspective," he said. "I, of course, wanted the technology to work perfectly, but I was also very cautious about what the finished garment would look like."
"My design process has definitely benefited from this experience and I will continue to look ahead in search of the next technology that can come to life through my creations," said Posen.
Wearable technology is becoming popular in the tech industry, with many pumping investments in this particular sector. Google is already betting on its growing importance. The Mountain View-based company has experimented with products including Google Glass and Project Jacquard, a project that aims to merge technology into clothing fibers.
However, few women are working in tech fields such as computer science and engineering.
"Very few young women see computer science as a part of their future — in fact less than 1% of high school girls choose it as a major," said Pavni Diwanji, vice president of engineering at Google. "We need to work on better pathways to encourage and support girls' interest in computer science, and connect them with peers who share that interest."
Posen’s collaboration with Made with Code is trying to change women’s viewpoint on these fields by highlighting the possibilities and fun of using coding, while empowering and encouraging girls to become involved in the field.
This is the exact reason Made with Code was created to inspire young women to experiment with coding and ignite their interests. The program encourages them to become creative with projects using Blocky, a visual coding system designed by Google. Girls can create Gifs, mix music, or code an LED dress with the system. The program has already invested $ 50 million over the next three years in computer science grants to encourage and assist women and girls to pursue these jobs for their futures.
