Stealing the show: Katy Perry's CuteCircuit dress at first appeared demure, but was lit up from below with LED lights as she arrived at the Costume Institute Gala Benefit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Glow in the dark: Katy lights up the gala, as she arrives with the designer

KATY'S LED DRESS

Katy's dress was made by London based company CuteCircuit. CuteCircuit founders Francesca Rosella and Ryan Genz both hold Masters in Interaction Design from Interaction Design Institute Ivrea. Francesca is an architect and graphic designer, while Ryan is an artist and anthropologist. In 2006 their Hug Shirt was named one of the Best Inventions of the Year by Time Magazine. Katy's dress is a more wearable version of the design duo 's stunning Galaxy dress - a hi-tech gown embroidered with 24,000 tiny LED bulbs now on display in an American museum The LED bulbs consume only a small amount of electricity, so can be powered by a number of small iPod batteries inside the skirt, with no danger of overheating.

The designers use the smallest full-colour LEDs available. These are flat like paper and measure only 2mm in length. The circuits are extra-thin and flexible and hand-embroidered on to a layer of silk to allow them to stretch.

The controls for Katy's dress were inside her bra!



Concealed rows of fairy lights gave the CuteCircuit design a fluorescent aura at the star-studded event, which attracts the toast of New York society.

It was the best possible advert for CuteCircuit, a fashion company based in London that designs wearable technology.



As Katy walked down the red carpet all eyes were on the glowing singer, who accessorised with Christian Louboutin shoes and Lorraine Schwartz jewels.

She was attending the Costume Institute Gala Benefit to celebrate the opening of the American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

CuteCircuit are no strangers to hi-tech fashion. In 2006 their Hug Shirt was named one of the Best Inventions of the Year by Time Magazine.

Katy's dress is a more wearable version of the design duo Francesca Rosella and Ryan Genz's stunning Galaxy dress - a hi-tech gown embroidered with 24,000 tiny LED bulbs now on display in an American museum.

Francesca is an architect and graphic designer, while artist and anthropologist Ryan has worked as art director for Signal Interactive and ASAP Media Services in the U.S. States.

In 2006 their Hug Shirt was named one of the Best Inventions of the Year by Time Magazine.

Katy said: 'I feel like I really have to represent those girls that just go for it and do their own thing and, you know, have their own bit of spontaneity and self confidence,' she said.



'I think sometimes in fashion it can get a little stuffy so I wanted to lighten up!'

And she told Us magazine she controlled the lights with a switch inside her bra.

'I love it, it's so much fun,' she said. 'I have this thing in my bra.



I don't know if that's a good place for it or not.'