How To Get Lit, Fashionably

I was pleasantly surprised to see this illuminated creation from the Ele Tra '08 autumn/winter collection at Japan Fashion Week. For a moment, it brought me back to Hussein Chalayan's '07 Winter Collection (a mesmerizing collaboration with Moritz Waldemeyer that left me speechless).

So maybe these hi-tech designs aren't always practical. And maybe they live somewhere between absurd and WTF. But they definitely serve a purpose: To keep fashion innovative and looking toward the future. (So help me God, if I am forced to see bell bottoms on the runway again in my lifetime, I'm going to poke myself in the eye with a fork.)

LumiGram V-Neck Top at lumigram.com

High-Collar Mini Dress at enlightened.com

Soft Technology Dress by Philips

Osram Ski Suit at osram.com

Vibe Emotion Sensing Necklace by Philips

T-Qualizer Heart Tee at flashwear.com

* Fashionable Technology: The Intersection of Design, Fashion, Science and Technology by Sabine Seymour

* Techno Textiles 2: Revolutionary Fabrics for Fashion and Design by Sarah E. Braddock Clarke and Marie O'Mahony

* Techno Fashion by Bradley Quinn