tartanstic
Couture - à - Porter
Tartanstic is a Womens Couture - a - Porter collection that provides a fresh perspective on Tartan fabric using artisanal work. The aim of the collection is to promote and preserve an ancient embroidery, Zardozi in an unconventional way and to also provide work and livelihood to the artisans.
NEOSKIN
#bodymodification #selfexpression #smartskin #biomaterial #wearabletech #interaction #personalization #arduino #floraboard
TARGET AREAS
All the following areas revolve around the beauty world. They have the common aim of enhancing one's emotion and aesthetic either for themselves or under societal pressure. Regardless of the reason for such enhancements, they are often permanent and most of the times, harmful for the skin. The plastic surgery industry, tanning industry and tattoo industry are all major businesses with a huge clientele.
KOREA'S BEAUTY EPIDEMIC
Aesthetic perfection and appearance are fundamental and represent a real obsession. The phenomena of K-pop, online gaming and K - drama are the driving forces that expand the trend. The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons reported that “one in five South Korean women have had some form of surgery” including adolescents. BBC reports that the number is 50 percent higher for women in their twenties.
AMERICA'S TANNING OBSESSION
The Tanning Salons industry is made of operators that provide indoor ultraviolet (UV) tanning beds and spray-on tanning services.
Tanning Salons in the US industry statistics
Market Size: $3bn
Number of Businesses: 8,373
Industry Employment: 49,80
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 halted growth of this industry making it difficult for the tanning industry to recover from the corona virus impact.
TATTOO & PIERCINGS CULTURE
It’s a $3 billion-per-year industry, increasing by nearly 10 percent every year for more than a decade now. While the tattoo removal industry is now outpacing the growth of tattoo studios. Tattoo pigment can contain heavy metals like mercury, cadmium, lead and arsenic. Also in the mix: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and aromatic amines. All of these hazardous substances carry the possible risk of: Cancer.
CONCEPT
After analyzing the above data, it was clear that many people have a need to modify their skins to enhance their bodies and communicate their feelings, which is often permanent and toxic. As a solution for this, a smart second skin was created from bioplastics that would allow the consumer to change their skin’s appearance without having to actually go under the needle. A skin that can be made at home (turned lab)!
Below are the biosamples Shonglin developed to create an inclusive Neoskin range plus some experimental ones.
The skin is a physical interface between the user and the environment. Neoskin goes beyond that.
Emotion of the user is sensed by the heartbeat sensor according to the rhythm of the beats, it then transmits it to the LEDs, making them flash in the similar rhythm conveying the users emotions to the person they are interacting with.
WORKING PROTOTYPE
TECHNOLOGY
CONVEYING EMOTIONS
This project was made for a workshop Coded Bodies, conducted by interaction designer Giulia Tomasello. It was made in a group of 4 people, wherein Shonglin contributed through concept ideation, design research, biomaterial samples development and designing the interaction to be done through Arduino coding, flora board, LEDs and conductive thread.