This paper describes the design process of Wo.Defy, an interactive wearable kinetic garment inspired by the Self-Combing Sisters, a group of suffragette North Cantonese Chinese women of the late 19 th and early 20th century, who challenged the traditional marital status of women through their choice of hair-styling and dress. The design and construction of the Wo.Defy interactive garment incorporates cultural and material references used by the Self-Combing Sisters. The garment responds to the wearer's physiological breathing patterns through physical kinetic movements in the form of motorized contracting floral doilies. Silk fibers and human hair are integrated into the garment as organic materials referencing personal and social memory. Wo.Defy contributes to the design discourse of Tangible Embodied Interaction by integrating cultural historical research into contemporary wearable design practice.
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