This dress is an artistic statement about the influence of UV light on the human skin. It was created by the Alexandra Institute and Diffus Design.

The dress has holes in the fabric which open and close to reveal the skin of the person wearing it according to how much UV light the wearer is exposed to. If it is cloudy or the wearer has not been exposed to a lot of UV light yet the holes are open, and when the wearer has been exposed enough, the holes slowly close. This mechanism was inspired by the Institute du Monde Arabe in Paris which has apertures integrated in its facade to dynamically let light come into the building.
Behind each hole is an aperture connected to a motor which moves the blades of the aperture. I was working together with Diffus and my part in the project was to design and produce the apertures with a laser cutter. I experimented with different forms for the blades which would make the holes more visually interesting. I also helped to integrate the apertures into the dress and attach them to the motors moving them.

The dress was presented at a conference about human health and the impact of environmental and climatic factors on the 25th of April 2012. The Danish crown princess opened the conference and the dress was later presented to her. Some pictures of the event can be found on the official website of the Danish royal family.