Photos: Step-by-step to geek chic

In her new book, "Fashion Geek," Diana Eng shows would-be crafters how to make their own techno-garb. A contestant on the second season of reality television show "Project Runway" and a founding member of the Brooklyn-based hacker collective NYC Resistor, Eng favors designs that incorporate technology, math, and science.

Her creations range from an inflatable gown fitted with a hacked hand vacuum and a series of valves to garments designed using biomimetics, the science of applying the laws of nature to technology. The model on the book's cover is sporting a "Monster Music Hat," which is an aviator cap with headphones built in.

Eng's $22.99 book includes illustrated step-by-step instructions on how to make projects such as high-heel shoes with LED lights. What controls the twinkling? A pedometer that you'll hack. You'll also need a soldering iron, duct tape, needle-nose pliers, a hot-glue gun, and two sets of alligator clip jumper wires.

Speakers are located inside the hood of the "Headphone Hoodie," and conductive thread replaces the wires. Eng notes that sports companies have sold hoodies like this, but they tend to be expensive and available only in limited styles. So she suggests grabbing the sewing needles, wire stripper, and electrical solder and making your own.

Eng's book includes her original illustrations, as well as photos of models wearing her creations.

These are the Flowerbud Earbuds, which give typical headphones a bit of cheerful flair and appear to be one of the simpler, more straightforward projects in the book. Also detailed: a felt flower flash drive that can be stylishly disguised as a necklace or other accessory.

Another of Eng's floral creations, the Blooming Buttons, light up when a garment is buttoned and turn off when it is unbuttoned. The buttons use a reed switch, which turns on when it is near a magnet.

Shortly after appearing on "Project Runway," Eng made a glowing lightning-bug costume for a Halloween party put on by the show's host, Heidi Klum. In "Fashion Geek," Eng explains how to make an adaptation of that costume--a tulle skirt with electroluminescent wire sewn into the hem--that can be worn for Halloween or otherwise.

Once you've succeeded in sewing a few geeky fashion items, you may want to advertise your new status as a fashion geek. The Shirt Circuit requires tracing the "fashion geek" pattern included in the book and sewing onto a shirt a circuit made from a battery, conductive thread, and an LED.