The Electric Dress

From the Flanagan article I chose to research Atsuko Tanaka, who revolutionized the meaning of play with her Electric Dress which was designed as a cross between a traditional kimono and the new age of technology. It was a full body dress with hundreds of light bulbs in primary colors that would light her up and “blink like fireworks.” This piece spoke to me because it not only took the art form of fashion, but it also was influential in the new wave movement of technology, as it was created in the year 1956, and she would then wear her creation to various exhibitions over the years, expressing her playfulness and imagination.