Fashion accessories dance with environment

The last thing most people would expect from a hair accessory is for it to function as a hygrometer. That's an instrument that measures humidity in the atmosphere. But this is exactly the kind of head piece - as well as ring, bracelet, pendant, earring and epaulet - that Elaine Ng Yan Ling sets out to create.

The pieces make up the British-Chinese designer's latest collection, Dancing Wooden Skin, which debuted at the Beijing Design Week recently.

The fashion accessories are made from wooden sheets, fabric and thermoplastic, an invention Ng calls "smart veneer". The material allows the pieces to change colors and shapes - or "dance" - according to the humidity, temperature and sunlight they're exposed to.