MakeFashion FashionTech Showcase: Chameleon Cocktail Dress

By Chelsea Klukas, Founder — Lumen Couture

Iconic MakeFashion LED dress changes color and patterns.

The Chameleon Cocktail Dress is one of the earliest MakeFashion garments, showcased at the 2013 gala. Despite being nearly 5 years old today, it is still one of the most iconic and showstopping wearable tech garments our organization has showcased.

MakeFashion chameleon cocktail dress, photo 2

MakeFashion chameleon cocktail dress, photo 3

The dress contains LED strip lighting that is embedded within a silver dress. With the lights turned off, the dress hides it's technology completely. When the lights are turned on, it explodes into dramatic illuminated colors.

Angela Dale has been designing and building costumes and props for over 30 years. She began her career in Halifax and has since worked in theatre, film, dance and opera in Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Alberta.

MakeFashion chameleon cocktail dress, photo 4

About the Author: Chelsea Klukas is an award-winning interdisciplinary technology artist and design leader. She has founded two companies exploring the intersection of fashion and technology (Lumen Couture and MakeFashion) and was recently granted her Doctorate of Fine Arts (h.c.) in 2019. Her Lumen Couture projector hat, a hat that includes real-time projection mapping and visual inputs to display video on a dress, has gained international attention as the first of its kind. She is an advocate for diversity and women in tech.

Lumen Couture is fashion that illuminates for unexpected elegance and drama. The designs are informed by the international fashiontech shows hosted by MakeFashion, an organization that introduces youth to STEM through hands-on fashion technology workshops.