Claire Danes was travelling light when she arrived for “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology,” the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2016 fashion extravaganza from its Costume Institute. Her fairy-tale princess dress, designed by Zac Posen and hand-sewn in organza and fiber optics, was stunning in the lights on the red carpet and even more spectacular in the dark.
We’ve seen a number of results of the collision—sorry, collusion—of technology and fashion. Many of them are merely useful, some are so cutting-edge as to require bandaging, some are attractive, but not for everyone, and some are unwearable, but they do light up or beep. Or, in the case of Lady Gaga, fly. Posen’s creation does it perfectly, with the fashion able to stand on its own and the tech integral to and enhancing the overall design.