Among them will be a delegation from fashion brand Scanlan & Theodore, which will charter a water taxi direct to a large-scale installation by Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde.

Titled Dune, the interactive work of 42 metres in length visibly reacts to the behaviour of people that come into its proximity. Hundreds of sensors detect motion, and optical fibres dim and brighten in response to the movements of people passing by Dune's hybrid of nature and technology.

Tonight those people will include Scanlan & Theodore general manager Sener Besim, whose company - helmed by creative director Gary Theodore - has partnered with the biennale to present Roosegaarde's work in Australia.

Theodore had wanted for some time to support the Biennale in some way and, after discussion, the Biennale suggested an involvement with Roosegaarde's contribution.

''After looking at his work and talking through his ideas, his practice seemed well suited to our brand through his engagement with the question of how identity is articulated in a contemporary context,'' Theodore says.

''His work brings together and fosters a sense of contemporary community, allowing us to further explore the idea of art in relation to fashion and new media.''

Theodore uses the word ''further'' because Scanlan & Theodore is no stranger to supporting the arts.

Two years ago, the brand collaborated with New York-based art photographer Nan Goldin to launch its spring-summer collection. Goldin photographed American model Erin Wasson wearing the label's clothes in a series of melancholic, introspective portraits for the campaign, which followed collaborations with sculptor Louise Weaver and painter Darren McDonald. The brand has also worked with photographers David Armstrong and Bill Henson, who was commissioned to document a decade of the label in 1997.

''Scanlan & Theodore has always been associated with the arts,'' Theodore says. ''Whether it be through collaborations, our [private] art collection, or something as simple as drawing inspiration. While partnering with the biennale is a new step for us, it's a step and not a great leap. The values the biennale supports are similar to our own.''

Scanlan & Theodore's values have allowed it to carve out a unique place in the industry.

Unlike many other fashion labels, the brand does not advertise, wholesale or operate an online store. It instead focuses on its nine stand-alone boutiques around the country, each with a unique look and feel, and a design aesthetic that chimes with its artistic collaborations.

''We don't believe in mass marketing, and corporate uniformity is really not a high point on our agenda,'' Theodore says. ''[Our] retail model as a strategy is simply about independence. For us it is about controlling our destiny.''

While being attuned to global trends, Scanlan & Theodore's design approach is to deliver clothing with elements of timelessness to cater to a broad and loyal customer base.

''From our brand's beginning we have nurtured a highly reflective, considered approach to our aesthetic and how that aesthetic could interact with our customer's personalities.'' Theodore says.

It hasn't all been smooth sailing. Henson's brooding shots of a young girl, hung in boutique windows and replicated in a limited-edition book, provoked controversy due to the photographer's pubescent subject matter. Scanlan & Theodore was unfazed, and in 2003 it launched another book featuring Weaver's work, which it also exhibited at Melbourne's GPO development.

But unlike the Henson collaboration, unless you had insider knowledge you probably wouldn't have known the fashion brand was involved with the Weaver project, or a similar initiative with McDonald.

Scanlan & Theodore's involvement with the Biennale is arguably its highest profile arts partnership yet but, according to Theodore, it's simply the next logical progression for the label.

''We've always sought out singular, sometimes riskily so, visions to express the independent nature of the brand,'' he says. ''I guess to an extent the sponsorship of the biennale and Daan's work is no exception.''

On the telephone from Amsterdam, Roosegaarde readily admits the early stages of negotiations were ''a weird, exciting, blind-date situation''.

''[Gary Theodore] was very intrigued with the pieces, especially Dune, which he knew already apparently. But he also had a strong request to do something else, not just to be a sponsor who comes to the opening to shake hands.''

The result is a commissioned short film called Dune X, which will be shown in Scanlan & Theodore stores and on the brand's website. The young woman who wanders through a disconcerting landscape in the film wears a vintage garment rather than the brand's own designs and Roosegaarde had complete creative control of the project.

The partnership with Scanlan & Theodore follows Roosegaarde's fashion-related work last year, titled Intimacy, for which he created dresses that change in transparency according to human interaction.

''Sometimes a dress will react to the heartbeat of the person wearing it, sometimes it is because of recognition if your boyfriend says something nice if you are wearing it,'' the artist says.

Roosegaarde, who explores relationships between the body, architecture and technology, says fashion plays a key role in shaping our contemporary identity.

''I think everyone wants to personalise and customise the world around us,'' he says.

''The notion of having to wear something is incredibly personal but I do think the fashion world still remains in a sense of analog with a lot of old sentiment that doesn't really help. So there are a lot of things still to be explored. ''

From: The Sydney Morning Herald