Hussein Chalayan (English, born Cyprus, 1970). “Remote Control Dress,” spring/summer 2000 (edition from 2005). Pink fiberglass; pink nylon tulle. Purchase, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, 2006 (2006.251a–c).
Hussein Chalayan’s collections are an articulation of his immediate conceptual and philosophical preoccupations as well as his fascination with materials and techniques as they might be applied to his métier. Chalayan is an artist whose extraordinary intellectual rigor is supported by an equally vigorous pursuit of perfected technique. Engaged by issues of gender, politics, science, nature, and history, Chalayan informs his presentations with designs that are often less apparel than they are sculptures; on other occasions, an iconic dress form is an actor, as in his meditation and commentary on the burka, and what is ordinarily a commercial presentation is transformed into a performance piece or installation art.
This dress is a later edition of one that was first shown in Chalayan’s spring/summer 2000 collection. Like the original, it is made out of a composite material created from fiberglass and resin cast in a specially designed mold. Also like the original, it has side and rear flaps that open to reveal a mass of frothy pink tulle. While these flaps are operated manually in this model, in the original they were operated mechanically by remote control. The prototype was, itself, a permutation of two earlier models in which Chalayan explored ideas about the relation between nature, culture, and technology. Chalayan’s description of all three models as “monuments,” not because of their rigid form but because they are “monuments to ideas,” is as much a comment about his process as his practice of design.
The concept for this spring/summer 2000 collection focused on the relation between mankind, technology, and nature, and the designs in the collection represent those various forces. The “Remote Control” Dress was operated by a boy who came onto the catwalk with a remote control. His electronic instructions opened up the panels of the dress to reveal the soft tulle inside.
The idea of directing living beings with a simple remote-control system was a lighthearted hint at the human tendency to want to control life as well as our sometimes exaggerated expectations of technology.
—Hussein Chalayan
March 16, 2008 at 7:18 pm
I fell in love with this dress. It gives off the vibe of a very futuristic, but magical world. To put it into words is very difficult, but I find the phrase, “Cyber fairy” somehow fitting.
March 17, 2008 at 3:19 pm
i like it!!! the contrast of cold metal and soft lace…..
March 17, 2008 at 3:44 pm
For me personally I enjoy his work more when I haven’t read his thoughts on the collection. They’re usually overwhelming and come off as extremely pretentious. Of course, this is only my opinion, but when an explanation completely overshadows the clothes, it’s a problem to me.
That said, his use of technology not only here, but in his more recent collections as well, is extremely admirable and creates amazing pieces that no doubt will be observed for years to come.
At the end though I’m usually left unimpressed with his actual ready-to-wear garments, and that’s unfortunate since he is first and foremost a fashion designer.
March 18, 2008 at 11:56 am
this dress looks like a moden cyber fairy dresss. i love it
March 19, 2008 at 11:20 am
That is just scary!
March 19, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Hussein Chalayan is an architect a designer and a a fashion engineer all in one his collections hide an amazing previous work. I love the sobriety of of shapes.
March 19, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Performance art, installation art, ideas, process…whatever. I personally think this dress is silly.
March 20, 2008 at 12:54 pm
When I saw this dress I fell in love with it instantly. Being a fan of the color pink, corests, technology, and a little thing called Japanese Baby Doll Lolita, I felt that this peice managed to incorporate everything I hold near and dear to me. The smooth plastic lines, the silver spindle things on the side of the dress, every detail to me was covered. I would wear this dress to Prom any day.
March 20, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Is this a hat or wires? How can you tell?????
March 20, 2008 at 8:56 pm
I mean dress. Sorry!!!!
March 21, 2008 at 10:09 am
I love this dress at first sight! It is futuristic! I have drawings of this kind of dress all over my notebooks! I really like that is it remote controlled.
March 21, 2008 at 12:29 pm
boooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 21, 2008 at 2:17 pm
I love this dress…. the combination of unexpected materials
March 21, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Es impresionante como el autor de este vestido mezcla la tecnologia con la moda…!!
March 22, 2008 at 10:13 am
i really like the shape of this dress. i dont know if wearing it would be to comfortable but as an artform it ranks at the top!
March 23, 2008 at 1:14 pm
This Dress just looks PAINFULL! Who would want to wear it. I mean really. And wouldn’t people make fun of you on the streets! This dress doesn’t even come close to even the smallest bit Fierce!
March 24, 2008 at 7:26 pm
It is pure scuplture to me n I could live with it.
March 25, 2008 at 1:36 pm
I fail to see the artistry. It’s just plain silly, as are so many other “high fashion” designs.
March 26, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Just wonder who’s gonna handle the remote!
March 26, 2008 at 11:04 pm
This dress is extremely interesting. I agree that is futuristic looking. It would be impossible to wear and is not at all conventional. However, I appreciate the combination of fashion and technology. The designer is not only combining the mediums of fashion and art, but of technology too. It is truely innovative.
March 27, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Very plain, but nice design.
March 27, 2008 at 2:28 pm
WOW!!! ROBOT MUCH??? I would probably fall over roll down a hil into a dumster and then I would probably get picked up by E.T. thinking I was from his mother ship.
March 29, 2008 at 10:31 am
When I was looking at this I just couldn’t figure out what it was! I t looks like a plain dress form
March 29, 2008 at 11:08 am
I think this dress is awesome!!!!!! If i even tried something like that it would fall apart in 2 seconds!!!!!!!!!!! I think i would never wear it but i would defently admire it.
March 30, 2008 at 9:06 am
I think the dress is rather amazing to be honest .. the concept of the design is beautiful and the electronics must of takern a very long time. i give it a definate thumbs up
abz xxx uk xxx
March 30, 2008 at 9:59 am
omg! i thought this was a corset when u first saw it! ooooops = p
March 30, 2008 at 1:18 pm
goodness this dress is so interesting. Of course not quite of the runway attire but an interesting concept. I wish i could of seen the show! I bet it was a blast!
March 30, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Very cool to look at….but not sure where you might wear it and how comfortable it would be. I loved the contrast between the very futuristic remote control led panels and the soft pink frills underneath. I am sure that it created quite a stir when it was presented on the runway! I loved this entire exhibit and incorporating the use of a blog! What a great way to encourage participation from the public in an exhibit. Great idea!
April 1, 2008 at 3:19 am
I didn’t realize this was wearable until reading about the designer. I just couldn’t imagine wearing something like this ever, for anything. Sure it’s a good piece of art, at best, but defiantly not wearable.
April 4, 2008 at 11:00 am
This dress is poppin’ and rockin’! Whoever designed this is AWESOME!!!!!
April 4, 2008 at 11:05 am
ALL of these dreeses are georgous and so fashionable. They would all rock any women that would wear them. All you designers ROCK!!!!!! You did a nice job of expressing yourselves in these dresses!!! All you designers R.I.P. You rock my world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU’RE #1 IN ANYONE’S BOOK WHO SEES THIS!!!
April 4, 2008 at 1:23 pm
This dress is poppin’ and rockin’! ..can’t explain it better myself if i was a robot. i’m thinking about getting metal legs to go with it, it’s a risky operation..but i think it’ll be worth it. hahhah how could anybody consider this back brace a dress. it looks liek something you’d wear if you had a really severe case of scoliosis.
April 5, 2008 at 2:43 pm
i can’t wait until PINK FIBERGLASS becomes the new “Jersey” but it needs a remote…and a built in bidet!
April 6, 2008 at 12:50 pm
i think that this is the weirdest dress that i have ever seen
who would want to wear a dress made of metal! how uncomfortable!!!
April 6, 2008 at 2:43 pm
BOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
April 9, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Three words: Space Odessey:2001
April 10, 2008 at 2:09 pm
it is an interesting dress. personally, i wouldn’t want to wear it, cause i like comfy loose clothes and the dress might be heavy because it is made out of metal.
April 11, 2008 at 12:13 pm
How would you sit down??
April 11, 2008 at 1:49 pm
As usual in these exhibitions there is a lot of great information that is so low to the ground that only short people can easily read it. I understand the artistic purpose of showing the clothes and not the text, but the text is so good why put it so that it is uncomfortable to read? Education should not be phyisically painful.
Please decide on your photography rule–either photography is allowed or not. The sign at the top of the stairs said no photography. A group of college students were popping shots all over the gallery while one female guard looked down at the floor until I said something. Later another said it was fine as long as there was no flash. Which is it? The flash photography in the darkened gallery was very annoying. And I don’t need to remind you also bad for the garments.
The clothes throughout the gallery were interesting and the juxtapositions were also interesting. I searched and was unable to find a generic blog on which to post this comment, thus I added it to this one. Sorry it if isn’t in the correct space, but I did look. It is nice to have this opportunity to share an opinion about the work you are doing.
All in all it was very nice to find an exhibition of fascinating fashion open here at the Met today.
April 11, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Is this the fashion of the future? If so, why is it so tied to the past? Although the mechanical, cold exterior frightens & interests one, it is the hidden “undergarment” that is warm & inviting. Are we to think that the future will only be cold & harsh & mechanical? Is the only way that the future will be conforting is by referring back to a soft, billowing past? What is the artist trying to tell me?
April 12, 2008 at 1:06 pm
how do yo do your necessities???????
weird
April 12, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Does no one see the hidden mysogyny in this dress? A woman encased in hard plastic is controlled by a remote held by a boy… It is remarkable for its construction, wit, etc, etc, which only serves to disguise the underlying objectification of women. If this was a commentary about woman as a powerless robot it would be different.
April 12, 2008 at 4:31 pm
I am suprised that no one has commented on the fetish nature of this dress. A little boy controled which portions of the soft interior (which very much resembles a balarina’s liatard) to reveal. Perhaps this is stating the obvious, but the stiff exterior, the remote control it self, all screams control over the woman who presumabley chose to wear the dress.
April 13, 2008 at 1:25 pm
…and is as totally confining, in its Western high-tech way, as a burka.