by When Christina Ernst imagined the idea for a self-twirling dress, she brought it to life and coded its robotic limbs to raise the edge of an elegant pink frock and rotate it back and forth. She transformed her dream into tangible form using a twinkling, fake-candle-adorned bodice, along with a grand gown featuring stained-glass-style sections that could glow like nighttime church windows.
In the last year, this 28-year-old has garnered hundreds of thousands of followers thanks to her playful fashion ventures that blend coding and circuitry. Hailing from Chicago, when Ernst isn't busy as a software engineer at Google's West Loop location, she spends her time developing "fashioneering" creations at home before sharing them through tutorials on her site and updates across various social platforms. She Builds Robots She aims to inspire more young women to pursue careers in STEM disciplines.
When I was young, I wished for more technology-related representation for my passions in fashion, art, and drawing," she said during an interview at Chicago Public Library’s Maker Lab, where Ernst held a 12-week residency showcasing her design work. "These were areas I enjoyed, yet I didn’t think they connected much with the tech sphere... It's crucial for me to focus my tutorials around the hobbies many teenage girls already possess, so as to connect with them effectively.
Ernst frequently ventures into realms of imagination, with her initial popular clips showcasing a Medusa outfit featuring multiple moving robotic snakes, one of which utilized artificial intelligence for eye contact interaction. However, the "dumbest" creation she has produced using her computer engineering background—according to what became her most viewed video—was designed specifically for a Halloween costume.
In this creation, she presents a compact, motor-driven 3D-printed model resembling the well-known Ratatouille character attached to a headband. This miniature robot holds and moves strands of her hair up and down using its tiny hands as she chops an onion in the kitchen. To ensure that her rendition of Remy from "Ratatouille" didn’t pull her hair too hard, she initially used yarn for testing purposes. Following the substantial online response—with almost 45 million views combined on Instagram and TikTok—she decided to enhance his design based on feedback received through comments.
The initial iteration simply involved his arms moving up and down," she clarified. "I programmed them to move at random intervals." She continued, "A lot of viewers suggested synchronizing it with their own gestures, which was quite clever. Coincidentally, I possessed an accelerometer that I decided to use. As this component is fairly standard, I dedicated the weekend to connecting everything properly.
‘Magical’ technology
Ernst mentions that she typically harbors several grand notions in her head, often persisting for months. However, these ventures aren’t intended to showcase the future of either technology or fashion; rather, they serve as catalysts for dialogue among budding creators and stylists, encouraging them to view tech from an alternative perspective.
Technology truly amazes me... Whenever I mention crafting robotic attire, I aim for it not to resemble common perceptions," she stated. "Maintaining a sense of marvel and playfulness is crucial to me. Each design aims to incorporate this element to attract individuals who may typically have little interest in engineering.
Although Ernst doesn't intend to make a more structured foray into fashion, robots on the catwalk have produced several iconic scenes within the industry. Back in 1998, Alexander McQueen orchestrated an intense piece of performance art where two robotic arms sprayed paint onto a dress being modeled by Shalom Harlow. A couple of years back, Coperni collaborated with Boston Dynamics during Paris Fashion Week, featuring the company's four-legged robots interacting with models like Lila Moss by helping them remove their outerwear and carrying handbags.
The awe-inspiring blend was something Ernst uncovered early in her career, thanks to the initial fashion endeavor she undertook in college: a Bluetooth-enabled, color-shifting LED dress she developed during a hackathon at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
She described it as a "eureka moment" when numerous girls visited her display stand seeking guidance on replicating the dress. This realization made her understand that fashion initiatives could serve as an entry point to STEM education. During her high school years, she excelled in mathematics competitions while also enjoying customizing her own clothing. However, upon applying to colleges, she found herself compelled to pick one field over the other rather than pursuing both interests simultaneously.
Many individuals believe that fashion has absolutely nothing to do with science; however, this notion is entirely incorrect. According to Ernst, "The story of computers is essentially part of fabric history." He explained further that the jacquard loom, which was developed in the early 1800s for weaving purposes using punched cards, laid foundational elements towards contemporary computing due to its utilization of binary coding systems. As he put it, these histories intertwine significantly.
Embracing failure
Ernst integrates various fields and methods in her work, including 3D modeling, laser cutting, manual dyeing, and knitting. She mentioned that due to this multidisciplinary approach, she frequently creates preliminary versions of her projects using basic materials like cardboard before utilizing advanced technology.
Ever since university, Ernst has delved into multiple approaches for crafting curriculums tailored to students. In 2017, she secured a modest grant for her hackathon initiative aimed at developing foundational electronics projects infused with elements of art and fashion, which she made available online without charge. Additionally, between 2022 and 2023, she supplied educational kits to five public institutions located in Chicago.
Last year, she served as a maker-in-residence at the Chicago Public Library, where she offered free workshops at the Harold Washington Library branch. This initiative helped expand her reach both locally and online. She instructed individuals from various backgrounds, including schoolchildren, adults, and seniors. For instance, Ernst mentioned that a Girl Scout leader who participated in these sessions learned how to code a motor and planned to impart this knowledge to her troop. Additionally, she intended to introduce a new electronics badge for Scouts to achieve.
During her residency, Ernst developed a novel design for the library’s display window , a golden and blush-colored Phoenix dress adorned with feathers that move up and down when people interact with a sensor panel on the display window. This outfit honors the Garden of the Phoenix, constructed in Jackson Park for the 1893 Chicago Expo to represent the friendly relations between the U.S. and Japan; despite being destroyed after World War II, the garden has since been restored.
Although Ernst initially planned to use motion detectors to trigger the dress, followed by an option involving viewers' smartphones, she ultimately (and swiftly) opted for a simpler approach employing light-sensitive photoresistors that activate upon being covered.
There’s a lot of experimenting involved, with many attempts leading to errors," she explained. "My education in computer engineering along with my work experience in software development has honed my abilities in perseverance, troubleshooting, and testing different approaches. This carries over into my approach for developing new fashions; typically, I create around six to eight prototypes until I achieve a design that functions as intended.
She has discovered that sharing or demonstrating the failed iterations of her projects with her audience can often be equally engaging for them.
I was astonished by the number of people who remarked that they enjoy witnessing the failures," she stated. "They find value in looking at the prototypes that didn’t succeed." She continued, "This reassures them that it’s acceptable to falter and essential to refine one’s approach—no one starts off knowing everything about this process.
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