Smart ideas magic in ks

Colour-changing T-shirts have been around since the psychedelic ’60s, but fashion designer Lauren Bowker has taken the idea a step further with her design company, The Unseen (theunseenemporium.co.uk). She’s developed special inks that change colour in response to ‘unseen’ environmental factors, such as heat and air pressure. Her website sells high-end couture items, such as a £750 scarf that changes colour with the movements of your body, and the £200, touch-sensitive Artefact iPhone case.

Bowker is also exploring more useful applications of this tech. One of her inks responds to carbon emissions so that you can monitor pollution levels during the day. She’s also working on chromogenic materials that react to biological data, perhaps warning an athlete of impending injury or monitoring the health of a diabetic. As Bowker says: “why make just a pretty dress when you could make a pretty dress that saves your life?”