Interaction Garment - Smart Materials

Here is a garment I have been putting togeather for an New Media Scotland event in Glasgow on the 2nd of July.

I want these pieces to provoke conversation and make people more aware of how they move, their body language and their interactions with others.



Shirt Collar Top
Joanne Hodge (joanne@joannehodge.co.uk)
Self Funded
June 09
Materials – Made from two recycled men’s shirts (giving life, beauty and function to discarded clothing)
Specialised Materials – Thermochromic ink
Interaction – Colour change (to heat)
Size (UK) – 8 -16


The Shirt Collar Top aims to make people aware of their body language and intimate touch by an outward display of colour change on the fabric.
If the wearer stands with their arms crossed over their chest for a period of time, the front section of the print where the arms have been will de-saturate in colour. This change would also occur if someone is to touch or breathe on the wearer, inviting more intimate touch from others.
How can our clothing make us more aware of our actions and the actions of others? Can this awareness and short lived record create a bond between the garment and the wearer or will the garments ability to adapt to movements & touch and visually display certain emotions alienate wearer from garment?

Shirt Skirt
Joanne Hodge (joanne@joannehodge.co.uk)
Self Funded
June 09
Materials – Made from two recycled men’s shirts, white cotton and black stretch cotton Lycra mix (giving life, beauty and function to discarded clothing)
Specialised Materials – Thermochromic ink, Photochromic ink
Interaction – Colour change (to heat), Colour change (to UV light)
Size (UK) – 8 -14


Top sections printed with Thermochromic ink, under section printed with Photochromic ink.
The Shirt Skirt intends to make people aware of their body language, how they move and intimate touch by an outward display of colour change on the fabric.
The skirt has a playful feel with a strange shape. It wants the wearer to move differently and play with its shape. Button it up down and all around to create an endless array of weird and wonderful forms. How will the wearer react to such an experience? This along with the added dimension of the reactive inks as with the Shirt Collar Top encourages different types of touch from the wearer and from others.



The under skirt appears to be a clear gloss print until exposed to UV light – as this is a part of a garment that does not normally see sunlight; what does this mean in terms of wear-ability and how will this make the wearer and those whom they come into contact with react? It is exciting to see the print glow brilliantly bright and turn a deep purple but for this to occur you have to lift up the skirt revealing more than you might normally feel comfortable with.




Our clothing can be seen as an outward camouflage – what would it mean if the camouflage disappeared or similarly if a new dimension of defence mechanism could be built by the simple way of colour change?

To get both of these garments to change colour the wearer and others will be touching, breathing on lifting and buttoning the garment in a variety of ways. How will people feel wearing this curious outfit? And what does this mean in terms of a lasting connection and the sustainability of the outfit?

Specialised equipment – A UV light, warm hands and plenty of puff ;)