Ying Gao makes living, breathing robotic clothes that capture the unseen

Taken from SYKY Magazine: Issue 02's “Materials for the Future” series, which features radical designers pushing technology to create new materials that redefine how we wear and interact with fashion. Collect the digital cover now.

Ying Gao isn't afraid of what she can't see. A designer and professor at Université du Québec à Montréal, Gao works at the intersection of art, technology, and fashion to create interactive clothing that redefines the possibilities of what fashion can be.

From her “breathing” pieces to sound-activated garments, and most recently All Mirrors – a collection featuring garments embedded with soft mirrors and eye-tracking robotic components that shift and transform as you watch – Gao’s work explores the intangible elements of our everyday. Air, light, and sound become central to her creations, which interact with their surroundings and bring unseen forces to life through clever design and robotics. “This idea of shifting states is central to my work; garments that interact with their surroundings, mirroring movement and perception in ways that feel almost organic,” she explains during our interview.

Featured in publications such as Dezeen and It’s Nice That, Gao’s approach to material design is rooted in interdisciplinary exploration. “Literature provides the conceptual framework, science offers the tools, and design brings everything to life,” she says. By weaving these together, she crafts pieces that blur the boundaries between the tangible and the abstract.

What first piqued your interest in “breathing” clothes, and how did you develop the technique?

Ying Gao:This technique emerged from my desire to explore intangible elements like air, light, sound, which are both present and elusive, inherently carrying ambiguity. These elements form a foundation for challenging conventional notions of fashion design, pushing garments beyond static forms into something more interactive, more alive. During my master's, I developed skills in programming and interaction design, which allowed me to approach textiles as dynamic systems rather than fixed materials. Early on, I experimented with integrating microcontrollers, pneumatics etc. into garments, gradually refining the mechanisms that create the “breathing” effect. 

The process is highly iterative: extensive prototyping, coding, and material testing are essential to achieving both visual fluidity and conceptual depth. My creative process always begins with a concept, often inspired by literature or philosophy. For example, Flowing Water, Standing Time was influenced by Oliver Sacks’ The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, particularly the story of a man trapped in a static perception of time. 

Ultimately, this technique interests me because it bridges the gap between the tangible and intangible. It allows garments to transcend their passive role, instead evoking a sense of presence and vitality. By embedding movement and interactivity into clothing, I aim to challenge the boundary between the animate and inanimate, creating pieces that not only exist but are responsive.

You've explored so many different techniques, from sound-activated kinetic garments to clothing that reacts to the chromatic spectrum. Which was the most challenging?

Ying Gao: The most challenging technique stems from my belief that garments should transcend being mere gadgets or tools. When people suggest future clothing could display emotions – lighting up to show happiness or sadness – I often think, “I hope that never happens.” Such a concept feels overly simplistic, as subtle as a flashing billboard or a Christmas tree. Instead, I try to create designs that possess a conceptual and aesthetic “life,” thoughtfully aligned with their technological function and imbued with nuance.

Sensory technology is already used in fields like extreme sports, medicine, and the military. My work doesn’t predict a distant future but reflects the present moment. The challenge lies in integrating advanced technology in a way that feels harmonious and purposeful, rather than purely functional or decorative. Through these designs, I explore the questions and uncertainties of today, offering a perspective on how technology might complement and enrich the human experience.

You take inspiration from social and urban environments, can you tell us more about that?

Ying Gao: I create garments that tell stories about human experience, our evolving relationship with technology, and the transient nature of existence. By integrating robotics and responsive materials, these pieces become active participants in their social surroundings, blurring the boundaries between the animate and the inanimate. Marc Augé wrote about “non-places” – transitory spaces where human interactions are fleeting and identities dissolve. In many ways, my garments exist in a similar liminal space, questioning presence, absence, and transformation. I see them as narrative devices, shaped by their interactions with the environment and the observer.

How does teaching young designers at the Université du Québec à Montréal influence your work and outlook?

Ying Gao: Teaching allows me to engage with the next generation of designers while staying connected to the shifting landscape of fashion and technology. My students bring a sharp curiosity, a readiness to question conventions, and a willingness to navigate uncharted territory, all of which I find essential. The challenges ahead are clear: integrating technology into fashion in a way that is both meaningful and responsible, addressing ethical concerns, and confronting environmental impact. But creativity has always been a force for change, and I see in them the potential to redefine the field. It’s a constant exchange. I’m not just teaching, I’m observing, questioning, and learning alongside them.

Do you think young designers, like your students, are affecting change in the industry right now?

Ying Gao: The industry is shifting, not just through technological advancements but through a more critical, reflective approach to fashion. I see young designers moving away from the spectacle of innovation for its own sake. They question materiality, sustainability, and the role of fashion in a world increasingly mediated by screens. It’s not just about embedding sensors or microprocessors but about making the intangible visible, capturing uncertainty, impermanence, and the contradictions of our time. Perhaps the real transformation will not come from technology itself but from a more nuanced, human interrogation of its presence.

What are you working on at the moment?

Ying Gao: I am always drawn to materials that exist on the edge of perception; those that shift, dissolve, or reveal themselves only under certain conditions. Lately, I find myself captivated by surfaces that respond in unexpected ways, by structures that question their own permanence. Technology is a tool to amplify fragility, to create garments that exist in a state of becoming rather than being. The research is ongoing, the experiments fluid. 

I’m currently exploring the intersection of memory, migration, and identity through garments that embody movement and transformation. These pieces shift between existence and void, grounded in the concepts of ephemerality and connection. 

My team of assistants is, as always, involved in this process, collaborating to test and refine ideas. We are experimenting with a range of materials, including handmade fabrics, soft robotics, and 3D printed elements. These pieces seek to question the nature of transitory spaces, as envisioned by Marc Augé, and explore the complexities of identity in constant flux. Alessandro Baricco’s writing resonates with the fluidity and impermanence of life, where identities are constantly shifting, much like the ebb and flow of the ocean, reflecting the transient nature of human experience.

Taken from SYKY Magazine: Issue 02. Collect the limited-edition digital cover creatively directed by Nicola Formichetti until February 13. Keystone Holders get a free mint.