Project Primrose made its first appearance at the Adobe MAX conference in October 2023. It is a garment that combines technology and the textile industry to create a versatile and sustainable piece. By changing colors and patterns, Primrose can replace multiple dresses and reduce waste in the fast fashion industry.
At the October event, Project Primrose was still in its concept stage. However, it has since been completed and transformed into a wearable high-fashion garment with the assistance of designer Christian Cowan. Recently, Primrose made its debut on the catwalk at Christian Cowan’s FW24 collection during New York Fashion Week.
If the initial introduction of Primrose was aimed at tech enthusiasts, its Fashion Week debut targeted women who would actually wear the dress. Cowan added a more feminine touch to the dress, incorporating a skirt made of stars, a mesh neckline, and matching mesh elbow-length gloves.
The development of Project Primrose dates back to 2013 when Adobe began experimenting with the concept of a sweater that could reflect weather changes. The ready-to-wear version of the dress features 1,264 laser-cut polymer dispersed liquid crystal “petals” and a skirt made of 14 stars. Both components are dynamic and can create various patterns and flows.
Christine Dierk, co-developer of Project Primrose and the initial model for the dress, collaborated with Christian Cowan on the final design. Underneath the “petals,” there is a flexible printed circuit board that utilizes Adobe After Effects animations to give the dress its dynamic quality. Dierk used Adobe Illustrator to map out the circuit board.
Gavin Miller, head of Adobe Research, describes Project Primrose as a way to transform traditional clothing into dynamic expressions of art and technology. Dierk hopes that the dress will inspire individuals in the technology and fashion design fields, as well as anyone involved in creative pursuits.
While Adobe has not mentioned any plans to bring this digital dress to the market, it is unlikely due to its one-off nature and the novelty of the technology. However, the Academy Awards could be a suitable platform for showcasing such a futuristic and rare piece. Adapting the dress for the red carpet would require additional work and funds, but the media coverage would be extraordinary, making it worthwhile.
According to the Source autoevolution.com