Look at that dress: Anushka Manchanda’s floor-length number came alive for an event

When fashion met innovation: Here’s how technology played a role in creating a surreal effect on stage, when singer Anushka Manchanda performed recently in Mumbai.

Projecting one’s creativity in different ways is what art is all about. And at a recent event held in Mumbai, some fashion innovation shone through, and the result — spectacular! Singer Anushka Manchanda wore a floor-length white gown that took over the length of the stage. Using projection mapping, the gown transformed into a canvas on which the varied elements of nature played like a film. From animal kingdom wilderness to flowers and greens — the dress lit up with animated visuals.

“The dress was made by a lovely lady called Ruth from Danns, The Bridal Shoppe in Mumbai. The exact dimensions the skirt needed to be for the projection, how the skirt fell, the content, how it would play out across the screens and how to get the dress and me on and off the stage in a matter of seconds — all details had to be perfected,” Anushka told us. About the nature of the projections, she added: “This is a brilliant reminder to us of how wonderful the earth is. Nature has always given us so much, it’s time now for us to give back, and save our planet.”

The projections on the dress ranged from floral animations to beautiful images of wilderness.

Many live performances internationally have seen the use of such technology to make the experience bigger and animated. Singer Jennifer Lopez’s performance in 2015 from a music reality show also had augmented reality at its core. Another popular example of visuals playing with a live element on the stage is that of singer Beyoncé, from back in 2011. As she performed a hit number on the stage, it seemed like an entire army of backup dancers joined her, thanks to the visual effects.