Play Hussein Chalayan
Remote Control Dress S/S 2000
Judith Clark Costume Gallery
20 July - 18 September 2000

A rare opportunity to see (and play with) the remote control dress featured in current Designer of the Year Hussein Chalayan's Spring/Summer 2000 collection. Designed by Chalayan the dress was made by Scottish furniture designer Paul Topen.

A Front breast piece hinges (from flush) to stand vertically. Section cut through interior and exterior skin to expose body/interior of the dress when open.

B Left shoulder - interior and exterior skins are cut through. Panel slides horizontally. Body visible in open position.

C Solar plexus - Triagle (flush in closed position). Steps back into relief within the main body. Lights from the inside highlight the slight gap.

D Panel within the exterior skin slides horizontally to expose interior skin.

E Main front panel. Exterior skin (Flush in closed position) slides vertically down to expose the interior transluscent skin. Mechanism is visible as a shadow.

F Left side elevating panel hinges from the top. Panel is cut through both skins revealing body/interiorof the dress when open. A moving bar of light is sandwiched between the layers of the elevating section and visible through the transluscent underside.

G Back panel is cut through both exterior and interior skins. Flush when closed, opens out and down in an arc to expose body/interior of the dress.

H/I Lower side back panels. Flush when closed, exterior skin hinges from side edge to reveal contrast transluscent interior skin (lit from behind the plinth). In full extension the open flaps lie flush in ariel view to the edge of the plinth.

J Lower back panel (flush when closed). Exterior skin hinges from the top edge to reveal contrasting interior skin. Transluscent light from behind by plinth.

K Remote controlled aerial concealed in panelling. The dress is moulded in two skins giving support to the structure and emphasising the contrast in texture, colour and form between the closed and open states of the dress. The exterior skin is moulded in a flat opaque pale pink gloss plastic. Panels are flush with uniform grooves 2mm in width running throughout. The interior skin is in transluscent frosted white plastic. This textural difference difference is accentuated by th lighting in panels C and F and the flat interior light created by the plinth.

When off the body the dress is displayed on a moving motorised remote control battery operated plinth. When the remote is in the off position the plinth stands on the floor. When switched on, the suspension raises to a clearance of approximately 1cm. The wheels are set back far enought to remain hidden within the body. In aerial view the plinth lies flush with the base of the dress when flaps H and I are fully open. The top side has flood lights set in which illuminate the interior space of the dress.