week 1:
masks

week 2: clothing
pockets

week 3: final project idea
1) Scratch 'n' Sniff Tattoo Stickers
2) medical ID (bracelet)

week 4: soft circuit
banana in the pocket

inflatable breast dress

More on final

Final project: medical (rf)id alert bracelet

RFID, custom software, leather, rubber

brief description:

Re-design of the medical ID alert bracelet. I am adding a digital, networked component to it. Currently, medical ID tags carry a few short, concise, pieces of information: patient name, condition (e.g. "epilepsy," ), and sometimes, an emergency contact. Only so much analog information can fit on the bracelet. I am embedding a digital tag into the medical ID tag. When the tag is read, the bracelet links you to online medical history and contacts the patient's emergency contact by automatically placing a phone call to them indicating the patient's location. It would let them know the patient is unwell and that his/her records have been accessed.

Aesthetically, this wearable could use a makeover. There has been some patient resistance to wearing an ID alert bracelet because they find it ugly, or they don't want to be prominiently labeled by their condition. The challenge is to make the piece attractive, and easily recognizable and accessible to medical personnel in an emergency without branding the wearer to the general public under normal circumstances.

1. what's out there

2. inspiration

3. prototype (larger images of prototype)

4. background info on the project here and here

Subversive Cucumber:
Flight-safe Knife and Sheath ~ Ode to Derek Smalls

Avoid embarrassing mishaps or hassles with airport security while upholding your faith and customs. Handle "random" searches and racial profiling with a wink and a nod to Derek Smalls, bassist for Spinal Tap. You can now put more "thrust" in your "power zone," and wear it as a badge of cultural pride.

The sheath is made of leather, a nod to the heavy metal aesthetic of Spinal Tap and the fine leather artistry of the Tuareg, and to prevent your "knife" from rotting against your skin. In the original incarnation, Derek had wrapped his cucumber in foil, setting off the metal detector. The sheath doubles as a loin cloth. Should you be subjected to the humiliation of a strip search, it provides a last resort for modesty and protection. "Ode to Derek Smalls" is engraved into the leather in Arabic, as an homage to the beauty of the calligraphy (and all the nonsense tattoos foreign scripts have inspired) prevalent in Islamic art, and as a potential source of alarm to airport security guards. (A knife can be carved into a cucumber and discreetly carried in the sheath.)

Men in certain cultures, such as the Sikh, Bedouin, and Tuareg, have traditionally carried a knife, beit a kirpan, khanjar, etc. as a requirement of their faith, or a sign of their manhood, courage, and tradition. Arabs, Indians, and Sikhs (the latter two mistaken for interchangeably Arabs or Muslims) have especially been targeted in racial profiling with "random" searches and racist attacks post-9/11. In response to the political climate, and as a concession to heightened security, some Sikhs have taken to wearing a mini khirpan as a pendant on a necklace. The knife, or dagger, was once considered an essential part of male formal attire among the Tuareg and Bedouin. As an adaptation to modernization (and local ordinances against carrying weapons), some no longer wear one. The legendary Bedouin and Tuareg hospitality, still integral to Arab culture today, grew out of the necessity of living in a harsh terrain. Because, to turn away a stranger in the desert would be akin murder. Unfortunately, this hospitality and kindness is not always reciprocated.

This project is also a meditation on how we adapt our wearables to the changing technological, social, cultural, and political climate. Clothing, like language and food, are a defining feature of a culture. Cultures adapt and evolve and/or assimilate to the larger or more dominant culture. At what point do you lose or give up your (self-)identity to fit within a larger network?

Final: Medical ID bracelet (or wearable)

Please also see my write up from a few weeks ago. The basic premise of the project hasn't changed. This project interests me because it deals with privacy & identity issues, the balance of reveal/conceal, and potential improvement of making it networked.

I'm interested in what should be analog and/or digital, what info should be networked (e.g. instantly contact next of kin when bracelet is swiped, what medical info is/should be available on the "network", how does it feel to wear it and use it (--e.g. the act of "swiping" bracelet/keychain, etc., what is the data you carry, and how and when can it be accessed and editted, etc.). I will not be dealing in depth with broader issues like the network/infracstructure that must be common to or accessible to hospitals/emergency care, and encryption issues. I'm more interested in the relationship the user has to some he/she is wearing and how it may affect their identity, and physical and mental well-being.

More: lots of images and links...

Hack a toy into a wearable:
Inflatable Breasts Dress

Now, you can pump up your breasts to whatever size you want, and adjust them on the fly. Because of the location of the valves, you can inflate your breasts before you put on the dress, or have someone else blow them up for you while you wear it.

This dress was inspired by a conversation about breasts that I had with Greg, a friendly acquaintance, at a party. After more than a decade of being a bike mechanic, he realized his avocation was not financially viable, and he decided to change careers to something with more earning potential. Because he is good at working with his hands, he decided to become a surgical technician. As part of training, he has been apprenticing at a private hospital in a wealthy community. He told me the majority of the surgeries at that hospital are plastic surgery, particularly breasts. Part of his job is to fill up the breasts (I presume with the saline (?)). The doctor gives him a number (e.g. 420 cc), so now he can easily equate breast size with cc‘s (cubic centimeters, i.e. volume). Which I think is funny. Instead of thinking of breasts as cup size, he can gauge them by cc’s of saline. Every now and then, the doctor announces an outrageously big number, like 500 cc’s. Without a gauge for this, I asked him how big 500 cc’s is? "Half a liter a breast. A large bottle of Pepsi is 2 liters," he responded. As the doctor puts down the patient for surgery, and asks the patient to count backwards from 10 to 1, Greg always wonders if the woman realizes that’s the last conversation anyone’s going to have with her face.

More...

Breasts. At various cycles, the breasts have been fetishized in fashion, from the Empire waistlines of the Napoleonic era, to more extreme examples such as Jean-Paul Gauthier’s costume design for Madonna, or the bikini life jacket. A lot of fashion, and visual imagery (in cartoon characters, in the media -- advertisements, movies, etc.) is about accentuating breasts, or showing as much of the breast as possible.

Nipples. It’s alright to show as much breast as possible, as long as you don’t show the nipple.-- whether it’s a wayward nipple slipping out from under or peaking through fabric. Women use double sided sticky tape to make sure a low-cut dress will stay put or cover their nipple, or plasters specifically designed to cover the nipple under flimsy fabric. That’s a lot of effort to obscure something we know is there. How many times do celebrity tabloids and web sites highlight a red carpet nipple appearance? Remember Nipplegate? People were more outraged by Janet Jackson’s exposed nipple (yeah, she did have a nipple ring, which the Superbowl demographic may find transgressive) than by a cheesy pop star's "act" of tearing off a woman's clothing as evidence of his transition from boy-band to street cred. And, there was quite a fuss when one of the Batman costumes (from one of the movies) got nipples. We seem to have a discomfort with nipples. The biological function of breasts, our mammary glands, is to nourish our young, and to give them life. Yet, the sight of a nipple, or an infant suckling at a mother’s breast, seems indecent to many people.

With this inflatable breasts dress, instead of sucking on the nipple, you need to blow into it, to give it life. Breasts are sometimes to referred to as “flotation devices” or described as "pneumatic". The dress is made of fashioned and reshaped flotation devices that have to be filled with air. Breast have also been referred to as “headlights”. For the next iterations of the dress I would like to make the breasts into headlights – by backlighting the vinyl breasts, so they have an ambient glow. One wearer said the dress was very comfortable and also gave her a different sense of personal space. With large inflated breasts, she felt like she had a protective zone.

Week 4

Soft Circuit: Is that a banana in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

(It's a little hard to see that the LEDs are on.)

This is design is a play on Mae West's famous quote and the history of the 5th pocket, often referred to as the condom pocket. When you reach into the pocket, the LEDs light up, calling attention to the wearer, and to the (subtle?) banana stitched into the denim. The LEDs are where rivets, a holdover from the nostalgic design of jeans, would traditionally be.

The idea for this came from a few trains of thought.

History - the 5th pocket in jeans -There's not that much you can fit in this pocket, so I always wondered about the origin of this pocket. I think jeans first became popular back in the late 1800s/Gold Rush with the original Levis. Levi''s prides itself in its brand history. Supposedly, the 5th pocket in jeans was meant for the pocket watch that people carried back in the day. Over time, as pocket watches were phased out due to new technology (i.e. the wristwatch), that pocket's original function faded, and it eventually evolved into being a "condom pocket," as it is now commonly known. On another note, when Steve Jobs introduced the Nano, he carried it in the 5th pocket. It will be interesting to see if the pocket's function further evolves into the "Nano" pocket, or whatever new use someone finds for it.

More on pockets - For the last assignment, I was interested in (the utiltiy of) pockets and the notion of secrets, private & revealed knowledge. I had been thinking about stitching in illustrations or outlines of the typical contents of the pockets (wallet, keys, lipstick, cell phone, etc.) into the interior lining or the exterior of the pocket.

(I'm sure the stitching on the pockets is meant to call attention to the wearer's backside.)

Sexuality in fashion -So much of fashion is about sexuality, expressing (or obscuring) one's sexuality, emphasizing different errogenous zones, sometimes to the point of hyperbole, etc. Animals are simpler in the way they behave, whether it be to attract a mate or ward off predators, the signals are pretty clear. Humans are much more passive/aggressive with the way we send out signals. We, subtly, or not so subtly, call attention to ourselves, and to specific body parts.

Metaphors - different manifestations of metaphors (verbal, visual, physical): For last week's assignment, Kate explained that her shirt "sends shivers up your spine." I was taken with the idea of designing a piece of clothing that is a physical manifestation of an expression that was based on a metaphor for a physical sensation. I started about thinking about how other verbal expressions are related to the body or clothing and could be physically translated, particulary into a wearable. (For example - "[Something] hidden up his sleeve" or "A stitch in time saves nine.") I also thought of May West's famous double entendre, "Is that a gun in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?", which over time has morphed into the cheesy pick up line, "Is that a banana in your pocket or are you just happy to see me." She is one of the few people with the panache to deliver a line like that. However, in most social settings, it's not appropriate to stare at and call attention to someone's crotch.

In this case, if someone is using their condom pocket, then it might actually be appropriate and funny to ask the question. I tried to use a subtle color for the stitching so you would really have to be staring to notice the banana sewn in.

Construction: Ideally, the LEDs would be a little more recessed and integrated into rivets. I'm using the same type of soft switch as last time: batteries sandwiched between conductive fabric, which need to be compressed to turn on. In this case, the 5th pocket is fairly snug on right hip -- you'd be applying pressure when you stick your fingers inside. This circuit is a bit spotty, and the switch needs to be improved. Overall, the toughest part has been figuring out how to connect hard and soft components, so the connection is stable and doesn't rip (the fabric), and figuring out the order of operations. It'll take some trial and error. I've been cheating a little -- knowing that my work doesn't need to last more than a week or so -- so I've taken some shortcuts with construction, and have been trying to avoid using a PIC or adding more components. I've been threading the legs of LEDs, etc. through the fabric and sewing it down, which may eventually tear the fabric. For the pocket, the circuit should turn on when the pocket is open (possibly a magnetic switch on each side of pocket), versus relying on finger pressure on a switch.

One thing I'd like to try is to solder up ends of an LED to make a loop, so it can be sewn like common notions, and keep from ripping fabric. I've done the soldering, which isn't that bad. I'll try this in a soft circuit some time soon.

Readings: 1491 & Philips & Andrea Zittel: Critical Space at the New Museum

1491 - I don't think it should be so shocking that a "foreign" or "lost" civilization had a sophisticated "written" language, or that it's manifestation was in "text"-iles vs. text. Information embedded in textiles for ages, and textiles (tapestries, clothing, etc.) have often told a story. I brought up the quilts of Gee's Bend and the American tradition of quiltmaking. Quiltmaking, and other textile arts, are often social activities among women, where women pass down the art and craft down generations. Quilts are often made from used, or discarded, clothing, which would have a history of use associated with it. On the topic of history or meaning embedded in textiles, I'm reminded of this article of clothing I saw at the Islamic Museum in Cairo a few years ago. This garment has writings from the Koran sewn into it. Even though I'm always amazed by the delicacy, patience, time, and craftsmanship into these handmade artifacts I see in museums (partially because most of us in td no longer have the time and skill to execute these things by hand anymore), this one particularly moved me and is engrained in my mind. I went back a few days to look at this garment again, and the guard remembered me and asked why I had come back to the museum again.

(Click on image for enlarged view, to see details.)

Philips reading - is view on wearable electronics definitely reflects the thinking of a creator of electronic products. He lost me when he started describing the scenario where someone in a club could communicate his likes/dislikes to another with wearable gear. A bit frightening and counterintuitve to the normal discovery process of forming a relationship with another human being. He is onto something with the "re-inoriorisation - modifying Man" trian of thought.

Andrea Zittel - I particularly liked the uniforms and the floorplan carpets. I like how her critical thinking and work spreads across all facets of life, and addresses some of our basic human needs (food, clothing, shelter). Her thinking behind her work is oftne more provocative than the actual "built" things.

I was actually more interested in the exhibit upstairs of i-D. Superficaly glossy, imagemaker/style arbiters. Seemed like a survey of what was considered cool in the 90s.

Week 3: Final Project Idea(s)

Idea 1: Scratch n Sniff Tattoo stickers

Scratch n Sniff stickers in the style of cliche tattoos. Wearers of these non-permanent tattoos can scratch and sniff each other's tattoos. If you find a scent match, then perhaps it'll make for a love match.

Animals secrete pheromones to attract a mate. Scientist are still researching and debating whether or not this holds true for humans. Is a love match really just about a scent match?

Scratch n Sniff Tattoos combines these notions -- tattoos as sexually attractive talismans (or just plain attractive), looking for love as a bit of a lottery, and sexual "chemistry".

People get tattoos for all sorts of reasons. Rite of passage, initiation, self-expression,decoration, etc. In some cultures, tattoos have previously had a negative association. What was once considered counter-culture or subversive has now become mainstream to the point of being banal, in some cases. There are those who find tattoos very attractive. And there are those who can't commit to getting a tattoo in a very visible place on their body, nor do they want an intimate tattoo (what's the point if no one can see it). There are those who don't want to make a commitment to the permanency (we all remember "Wino forever"). Meeting people, particularly at a bar, is somewhat of a lottery. And ultimately, it's all about getting scratched and sniffed.

From Sunday's Style section: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/12/fashion/sundaystyles/12chemistry.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/09/science/09cnd-smell.html?ei=5070&en=e0fa349e51a9bfa2&ex=1139893200&pagewanted=print
On a completely different note, this is very funny: http://www.pherotones.com/

Idea 2: Networked Medical ID Tags

http://headaches.about.com/cs/toppicks/tp/med_alert.htm
http://www.americanmedical-id.com/home/?usersession=

From the above web site:
"Important information on medical conditions, drug and food allergies, prescribed medicines and emergency contacts can be engraved onto the surface of a medical identification jewelry piece. Medical IDs are recommended by physicians and healthcare organizations throughout the world. Wearing a medical ID offers you and your loved ones peace of mind...If you have ongoing medical conditions, drug or food allergies, or are taking multiple medicines, you're a candidate for a medical alert ID. An engraved medical ID bracelet or necklace presenting a concise overview of your conditions, allergies and medicines will alert a doctor or medic before starting treatment. Informing medical personnel about your unique medical conditions and needs will greatly aid pre-hospital care."

I'd like to embed a digital tag into medical ID tags. Currently, medical ID tags carry a few short, concise, pieces of info, e.g. patient name, condition (e.g. "Epilepsy," "Peanut allergy," etc."), and sometimes, an emergency contact. Even more useful would be to provide a trace to medical records. Often, it's really hard for you or medical personnel to get their hands on medical records during an emergency. (The healthcare system is currently, painfully, trying to make the transition from paper to electronic medical records, and dealing with privacy issues, etc. Right now, I'm not so concerned with privacy issues. In a critical emergency, that's the least of my concerns.) When the digital ID tag is scanned, i.e. in an emergency, I'd like this networked object to automatically contact the patient's emergency contact.

There are a variety of different medical ID tags. I personally don't find any of them terribly attractive, but that's besides the point. It would be a challenge to design an accessory that can balance being discreet (so the wearer doesn't stand out, if that is desired) but communicate vital information clearly in an emergency. The other side is to make something stand out and be special, so that it is desirable.

Overall, I'm far less interested in making a fashion statement or philosophical inquiry through technologically-augmented fashion. I've seen some really interesting implementations of this, but often times it seems so contrived. Sometimes an "unnatural" behavior is being forced on the wearable or on the wearer. I'm more interested in issues of self-expression and identity in situations where the user has no choice in wearing a technology, i.e. for medical (assistive technologies be it for a physical or mental disability, etc.), safety, utilitarian reasons, where I find issues of self-identity much more pressing.

Week 2:
Make an item of clothing using wool, cotton, leather, an electronic component, conductive fabric or thread.

2 pet peeves/issues I have with clothing are 1) the lack of pockets for women's wear, and in general, the lack of stylish, well-made clothing that addresses utilitarian needs of women 2) how fashion/clothing tends to be more of an outward display than something the wearer gets private satisfaction, beit pleasure or utility out of. For something we wear so intimately, on our body, that seems odd. More on this topic below...

***

(Left) I put 2 patches of the fabric reversed where the pockets go. When the pockets are removed, there's a void -- a trace of where the pockets once were. (Middle) skirt has a hidden zipper for the slit. (Right) Skirt with pockets attached. I left the waist and the edges where the pockets go unfinished, so they'll fray with use.

Pockets snap off. I don't use patterns and cut the fabric on the fly. I meant for the skirt to be longer, below the knee, and the pockets to sit lower, so the size of the pockets would be more in proportion with the skirt, and look less bulky. It'd be in more comfortable position too. The wool lace fabric I used ended up being too bulky.

Pockets snap off. One suggestion I got in class that I really like is to have the pockets mate so they could be carried together.

(Left) This pocket is lined with leather. (Right) The tag/label doubles as an on/off switch and battery holder. Squeezing the label turns on the LED.

LED in the bag to light it up. I got it to work, but it's not the best implementation. The wire run up the sides of the bag, and are sewn into place in the interior. Next time I will use soft wire to decrease the bulk.

The tag is the cover for the pocket that holds the battery. The tag is color coded red & black, to indicate the orientation of the battery (positive/negative). The snaps for this sleeve are colored and oriented differently (2 black on one side, one silver on the other side), so you can't put it on backwards. The sleeve underneath holds the battery. It's made of a pocket/sleeve. Each side has 2 layers of fabric: 1) one "normal" fabric with a hole cut out (so the 2 pieces of conductive fabric won't short 2) a layer of mesh conductive fabric on back. I looped the end of the wire from the LED through the mesh fabric, and soldered it to itself. And then sewed it with conductive thread to re-inforce it. Next time, I'll use the soft wire --it's less likely to rip through the fabric.The implementation of the wiring and the pocket is a pretty messy first go at a soft circuit.

It's been a long time since I've attempted to sew an article of clothing. I forgot how much I dislike it.

***

I've seen some clothing with great pockets on it, but usually out of my price-range. Or else, it looks like something you wear to ascend Mt. Shasta. Things we always carry with us, and need in an emergency, keys, money, and cell phone. Men can easily carry these things in their pockets. Women often do not have the option. We have to carry a purse to fit all these things, but there are many instances where I don't want to carry a purse. Granted, men are physically bigger than women, so it's easier to fit sizable pockets on their clothing. And women care about wear pockets are, and whether or not the bulges will make our asses and hips look large or funny.

Private knowledge and satisfaction - I like the clothing and the pockets with a nice fabric that one would get some "pleasure" in touching, since clothing is a tactile experience. I also really like clothing that is nicely lined with fabric, where other only see hints of it, i.e. the inside of a jacket, inside of shirt collar and cuffs, slit of a skirt -- which is exposed when you walk or move. It shows a certain level of attention to detail.

I decide to make a skirt -- easier than pants, and easier to put pockets on bottoms than tops -- with detachable pockets. The skirt is made out of a very basic material, cotton denim, but lined with a velveteen on the inside that is soft to the touch. One pocket is lined with leather, the other with wool lace. It solves issuse of washing, etc. by having pockets removable, and also the pockets can be used as a bag or clutch. I lined one pocket with leather -- it's often considered a luxury item, and feels nice to touch, and is often used for handbags, but on the exterior. For the other one, I put in wool lace, since we're required to use wool. I wanted to use a wool lace (leather and lace, sounds so Stevie Nicks, and has a cheesy cliche ring to it), since lace and embroidery is something we often associate with lingerie, and requires light to see the detail. In this case, it's completely hidden to the eye. I put a light in the pocket, so you can see what contents are in the purse, and possibly see the lace.

Reading on Lucy Orta:

"...Packaging has a dual role ; its prime role is to facilitate transport, and its secondary role is to facilitate the message.. "

I think that all clothing serves this purpose. It keeps us protected and covered as a primary, almost invisible role. But more so, as a message to communicate identity, or whatever other message we're trying to express. Self-expression through clothing is a strange push/pull between individuality and group dynamics. The notion of self-expression through clothing as a delicate balancing act betwen self and group bores me. What I do find very exciting is the notion of individual survival through collective group activity, in this case collective group wear, that Orta expresses in her clothing.

Week 1:
Make 2 masks for the next class: one that you think represents you and one that "hides" you

Left - reveals, Right, hides. When the 2 are put together, it gives a somewhat "complete" picture. It is made of a reflective material because the way we perceive someone, or anything, is a reflection of our own point of view, of ourselves. I used a profile. Profiles only provide an outline of salient features (and in this case, provides only a flat, one dimensinal view), we fill in the blanks accordingly. Identity is a strange mix of how we view ourselves, how others view us, and how we would like others to view us.