Designers dream of electric dresses at Paris Fashion Week

In the middle of Paris Fashion Week, Ghost in the Shell "Prototype" (hosted by Paramount Pictures and Tumblr) aimed to show off cutting-edge fashion that makes use of technology. Weirdly, the event actually didn't have much to do with the movie at all, other than trying to demonstrate how humans can enhance themselves via smart clothing, much like in Ghost in the Shell's fictional near future.

Rather, it gave us an up-close look at the future of couture, including Intel's Adrenaline dress that gets "upset" when you do, a "smart coat" that warms you up with infrared tech and fabrics that can sense the amount of air pollution. The showcase was provocative, and designers were excited to work with the new creative formats offered by wearable tech, but it also demonstrated why wired-up clothes aren't quite ready for prime time.

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Chromat dress and top with EMEL+ARIS coat

Chromat is on the forefront of using electronics to sense and express how the wearer feels. The company has now developed bioluminescent garments with LEDs and built-in sensors.

"There are so many exciting things coming out of the fashion/technology convergence," Chromat CEO and designer Becca McCharen tells Engadget. "I want to make clothes that do work for the body ... that can respond and adapt as you move through the day. I want garments that function as tools as well."

The EMIL+ARIS coat, meanwhile, uses "far infrared technology" to warm the muscles of the wearer. The team says this can improve circulation and help "the wearer's whole body to feel warm."