• EE opened the 2020 BAFTA Film Awards red carpet tonight with a breath-taking live debut of the world’s first 5G-powered AR dress
• Designed by multi-disciplinary artist Richard Malone, the dress was made from ethically sourced fabric including recycled ocean waste

Sunday 2^nd February 2020, London: EE made history on the EE British Academy Film Awards red carpet tonight, blurring the lines between physical and digital fashion to reveal the world’s first 5G-powered AR dress. The showstopping gown, designed by multi-disciplinary artist, Richard Malone, was worn by EE’s red carpet presenter, Maya Jama.

Film fans at the Royal Albert Hall watched in awe through Samsung Galaxy Fold 5G smartphones and on screens at the top of the red carpet as the AR dress began to come to life as Maya stepped onto the EE stage. Watching the spectacle live through this state-of-the-art smartphone connected to EE’s 5G network, fans could see lengths of shimmering digital material begin to swirl around the dress.

The jaw-dropping 5G-powered show continued with the digital fabric forming sculptures on either side of Maya. Responding to Maya’s movements in real time, the animated material wrapped around her to form a completely new design for the top half of her dress. The designs continued to evolve with more and more of the digital fabric flowing from detailing around her shoulders, before billowing out around her to form a spiral of this cutting-edge digital fabric.

In a breath-taking finale, the spiral of material began to change form, transforming from its material state, into a stunning crystallised structure, glimmering in the spotlights on the red carpet before shattering and falling away from Maya to reveal the physical dress underneath this extraordinary display of augmented reality.

The unmissable moment was only made possible through the power of 5G, which meant all the complex computing involved in delivering this next-level AR experience was delivered seamlessly to onlookers on the Royal Albert Hall screens and 5G devices.

The physical couture dress designed by Richard Malone was made from ethically sourced fabric including recycled, regenerative ocean waste, recycled wool and wadding from ex-factory waste – was hand sewn with over 100,000 stitches and took over 250 hours to complete. Made up of six layers in total, the bespoke dress contained over twelve full body length wires, totalling over 18 metres in length, and eighteen sensor bulbs.

Pete Jeavons, Director of Marketing Communications at EE, added: “This year we opened the BAFTA Film Awards red carpet for the very first time and what an opening it was. Collaborating with the most creative minds in fashion and technology, we’ve delivered a world first that truly showed the extent of what is possible with 5G. This live augmented reality experience required mind-blowing amounts computing power, connecting and streaming live over our 5G network to deliver the cinema quality animations in time with Maya’s movements, and is such an exciting showcase of how we can blend of our physical and digital worlds.”

Maya Jama, EE’s red carpet host, said: “ Tonight was a total whirlwind and I still can’t believe I opened the EE BAFTA red carpet wearing a 5G powered AR dress! It was amazing to be part of something this big that’s been months in the making and that genuinely pushes the boundaries of fashion and technology.”

EE has been a long-standing partner of BAFTAs Film Awards for the past 23 years, working with BAFTA to bring film fans closer to the awards through the magic of technology. Since the partnership began, EE has not only worked with BAFTA to introduce the EE Rising Star Award but also used its award-winning network to create new and exciting opportunities for film fans to be part of the action on the red carpet.

For more information on EE’s partnership with BAFTA visit ee.co.uk/bafta.