Fashion designer Ying Gao unveils a new series of robotic garments adorned with shimmering, self-moving shards of mirrored surfaces. These delicate fragments are assembled using medical cotton gauze enhanced with an 18-carat gold finish, then carefully stitched onto the fabric. The motion of the mirrors is powered by electronic components designed by Simon Laroche, bringing the garments to life. This marks one of the first instances in which Ying Gao incorporates mirrors into her dynamic fashion creations.

Known for her use of metals, silicone, and camera sensors in previous designs, the Montreal-based designer and professor now explores the theme of imperfection. By integrating fragmented mirrors, she evokes the philosophy of kintsugi—the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold. In this interpretation, the broken elements are mirrors, hinting at deeper layers of reflection—both literal and metaphorical.

A Fusion of Reflection and Technology

Ying Gao sees mirrors as a means of questioning perception rather than conveying absolute truth. “The fragmented, fluid nature of reflective surfaces creates an ambiguous reality—one that is both assembled and distorted,” she explains. Citing Umberto Eco, she highlights the dual nature of mirrors: they simultaneously reveal and obscure, allowing people to see both what is present and what they choose to perceive.

By embedding mirrored shards into her robotic garments, Gao invites onlookers to engage with their reflections, challenging their understanding of identity and perception. “The mirror becomes almost intentional, responding to the movements of its wearer while projecting a constantly shifting array of reflections,” she notes. Constructed from a fusion of glass, silicone, and electronic elements, these garments blur the line between fashion and interactive art.

The interaction between the viewer and the mirrored surfaces creates a dynamic, two-way experience—one that is both deeply personal and universally relatable. As Ying Gao describes, “The fragmented reflection offers a dual impression: the garment we observe and the garment that, in turn, observes us.“

mirrors

Project info:

Name: All mirrors
Design: Ying Gao 
Robotics: Simon Laroche
Photography: Malina Corpadean
Studio team: Espé Duenas, Marianne Frève, Pascale Tétrault, Ruochu Xie, Yasmin Tcheconi, Christophe Paré, Tommy Lecomte, Julien Villeneuve
Director: Alexandre De Bellefeuille
Editor: Guillaume Marin
Cinematographer: Maxime Lapointe De Roy
First camera assistant: Luka Sanader
Grip: Yvain Jeanmart 
Best boy: Thomas Jacquet
Makeup/hair artist: Katérie Portelance of The Project 
Models: Sabrina Coridon of Another Species; Ophélie of Folio

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Nicoleta Raicu

Editor-in-Chief at Cultartes Magazine
Still can't tell exactly my origins because of my suspiciously ‘Chinese eyes’.