Central Saint Martins has Textile Futures, but Québec has tour de force Ying Gao. The young designer, who was previously responsible for a range of dresses activated by gaze, has just made a line of sound activated garments using a new fabric that responds to the human voice. The designs in the Incertitudes collection feature special pins woven into the underlying textile structure that are able to detect the particular frequencies of human voice and move in response. Half-sea creature, half-architectural showpiece and all sci-fi, the garments “engage the spectator on a conversational level, which is filled with misunderstanding(s) and uncertainty.”

Much like Ishin Denshin, haptic and psychological explorations of sound are making big waves (excuse the pun) in design. What they will ultimately mean in terms of practical applications is anyone’s guess, but in fashion in particular, the technology that has long promised smart, adaptable garments might also share future wardrobes with a refreshing and welcome dose of personality.