kinetic garment by iga węglińska shivers in response to sound, mimicking goosebumps

Iga Węglińska’s clothing piece reacts to ambient sound

Responding to the acoustic world like a living skin, Frisson is a kinetic garment by Polish designer Iga Węglińska that physically trembles in reaction to ambient sound. Developed through research into neuroaesthetics and sensory design, the clothing piece interprets soundscapes through delicate movements on its surface, simulating the subtle shivers and goosebumps humans experience during moments of heightened emotion. Drawing from the phenomenon of frisson, those involuntary chills triggered by music, film, or ritual, the project rethinks how ancient bodily reflexes can be activated in contemporary contexts.

all images by Mila Łapko

Frisson simulates goosebumps through micro-movements

Rooted in the idea of atavism—the reappearance of ancestral traits lost through evolution—Frisson by the multidisciplinary designer Iga Węglińska examines physiological reactions such as piloerection (goosebumps) and paresthesia (skin tingling) as relics of primal survival mechanisms. Where these reflexes once alerted us to threats, they now respond to beauty, awe, and meaning. Węglińska’s design explores this shift, investigating how clothing can become an extension of our emotional and sensory awareness. Equipped with a sensor that detects real-time shifts in ambient noise, the garment activates micro-movements across selected zones, producing tactile feedback in the form of subtle tremors, echoing the body’s own response to intense stimuli like a whispered word or a cinematic crescendo.

Frisson responds to the acoustic world like a living skin