These delicate, sculptural dresses seem to have a life of their own – rustling subtly as the wearer stands still. The embedded eye-tracking technology means that their movement is dependent on who is looking. The more one stares, the more they flutter.

The dresses were designed by Ying Gao, and were inspired by Paul Virilio’s essay Esthétique de la disparition (The Aesthetic of Disappearance). The designer explores the theme of absence in her (No)where (Now)here work series.

It is interesting to see fashion designers increasingly willing to venture into wearable technology. We have previously featured Karma Chameleon, dresses that change colour depending on what the wearer is doing. But this time, the dresses need not only a human mannequin, but also an audience. Definitely not an outfit for the shy!

The dresses will be exhibited at the Power Station of Art in Shanghai in November 2013, and in the Textile Museum of Canada in Spring 2014.