Robotic Clothing Collection by Ying Gao

A play on the tangible and intangible qualities inspired by the zeitgeist of NFTs and digital art has given birth to Montreal-based fashion designer Ying Gao’s latest couture collection 2 5 2 6. Also known as ‘Robotic Clothing’, 2 5 2 6 reflects the impact of technology and the musings of what virtual clothing could be.

An ensemble of two garments, Ying Gao’s latest collection combines the collaborative power of technology and textiles. The title 2 5 2 6 reflects the number of hours spent on the project “from ideation to the finish, from the first line of drawing to the last stitch,” says Gao.

One of the pieces is constructed of a faint flamingo pink and white checkerboard pattern and the other features a combination of greys, yellows, and a kiss of violet that mimics the all-too-familiar blurred motion of the digital screen coming into clarity. From the lightness and layering of the fabric, the wearer appears glitch-like, a metaphoric representation of one’s identity being caught at crossroads between metaverse and reality.

Underneath the garments rests robotic devices programmed to contort the sheer woven and hand-screened prints, chameleoning the fabric into two different forms. Playing with the fine-nature of the polymorphic outfits made of glass, precious metals and silicone, the textiles shifts into various sweeping floral patterns. The mechanics of the pink gown pinches and gathers the fabric at different angles of the human body for depth and direction of the garment’s focal flow.

On the contrary, the grey counterpart offers a more static composition, with the gown tailored to a classic silhouette being gathered at the waste while still bubbling in places for a floating illusion. It is the statement piece attached to the shoulder, made of irregular silver that are controlled by machinery to imitate the blooming and shying of a morning glory.

As Gao muses on the digital realm being our “real second nature”, the silver gown featuring a contrast of between the stationary and the motion alludes to the conflicting nature between the two worlds that we find ourselves occupying.

With the added dimension from the metaverse, it is not surprising to find new possibilities and ponderings on what the future of clothing could be. Between the two worlds and a small thread of fantastical that is made to reality, Ying Gao’s clothing probes consumers’ thoughts on fashion’s future. Be it robotic or not, machinery in clothing may not be so far away after all.