Adobe's Project Primrose Signals a New Optimism for Smart Fabrics
Imagine a future where dresses are programmable, dynamic, and interactive.
Every once in a while there’s a dress that breaks the internet, meaning it becomes so viral and so talked about that it’s hard not to pay attention. Think of Jennifer Lopez’s green Versace dress in 2000, or Lady Gaga’s meat dress in 2010. These dresses usually come from designers and appear on runways or red carpets, but the dress that had everyone talking recently came from a software company.
Unveiled at Adobe’s annual Max Conference, a gathering known for its experimental tech previews, Project Primrose is a fully interactive dress with multiple pattern configuration possibilities. it uses flexible textile displays to create a kind of sequin pattern that can change colour and shift its pattern in a blink.
In the clip above, you can hear the audible gasps from audience members as creator Christine Dierk shows off her garment’s ability to go from light grey to dark grey and then cycle through different patterns.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen garments that seemingly come to life. Designers like Chelsea Klukas, Francesca Rosella, Behnaz Farahi, and Anouk Wipprecht (to name just a few) have been experimenting with interactive design for a decade.
From a user experience perspective, I still have the same questions I’ve always had when it comes to smart fabrication: where are the wires? One of the downfalls of the dream of wearable tech (especially flexible textiles like Project Primrose) is the lack of washability and wearability (after all, do people really want to have to worry about charging their dress?)
In the botanical world, the primrose is one of the first flowers to bloom in the spring, and it also symbolizes youth, renewal, and optimism. Project Primrose could signal a return to wearable technology and smart fabrication with a renewed energy—and an effort that’s now backed by Adobe, a $250 billion behemoth.