HI TECH FABRIC

The world today is moving faster than ever before, but there are two things that seem even speedier than other concepts; technology and fashion. That these two should eventually join forces to come up with new and exciting creations seems inevitable. Between scientists and fashion designers, the boundaries of attire are being pushed further all the time.

Some fabrics, created for practical or outdoor use rather than fashion, have found their way into designer’s collections, a purpose which is far beyond their original purpose. A prime example of this is neoprene – originally created to provide insulation for divers and sailors – seen in collections from Gareth Pugh and emerging designers like Flik Hall, to the more mainstream Lanvin, Balenciaga and Vera Wang. What is interesting about neoprene is it’s uniqueness; rather than being a man-made alternative to a natural fibre, it looks and feels like no other material before it. It is soft, but quite inflexible; it does not drape over a figure, more sits atop it, slightly matte, bouncy and boxy, it is unmistakable in its futuristic appearance.

It isn’t just high end or experimental emerging designers that play around with souped up fabrics – major high street chains like Uniqlo are also champions of this trend. We’re all familiar with the brand’s HeatTech clothing range. According to Uniqlo this fabric actually creates heat from your sweat (as opposed to just insulating it like other materials), to keep you extra warm in the cold. On the other end of the thermometer, fabrics have recently been developed to repel the sun’s rays, and thus keep the body significantly cooler in hot weather.

Practicalities aside, advances in technology have also resulted in visually spectacular new effects in fashion design. Helen Storey’s ‘dissolving dress’ is the stuff of fashion history, and Manel Torres, a Spanish fashion designer in conjunction with Imperial College London, helped to develop the first ever spray on fabric. Allowing for infinite variations in garments, it’s a massive step forward in bridging the gaps between sciences, fashion and even art. The fabric is sprayed on and then solidifies, so it can be removed, reused and washed; it is as ‘made-to-measure’ as anything can get, and different textures can be achieved by adjusting the chemistry of the product.

A company called Cutecircuit has, meanwhile, been developing a range of garments that incorporate technology in groundbreaking ways – the most whimsical and charming of which has to be the ‘hug shirt.’ Using Bluetooth technology and heat sensors embedded in the shirt, a virtual hug can be sent to anyone wearing it. Also dazzling is the Kinetic dress that is also embedded with sensors that react to the movement of the wearer, displaying moving patterns through electroluminescent embroidery on the fabric, according to the wearer’s pace and algorithms. According to the company’s founder, Francesca Rosolla, the idea is to use technology to create ‘clothes with magic powers.’ In an homage to this fusion, Cutecircuit’s Galaxy Dress is now on display permanently not at a museum of fashion or textiles, but at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

It doesn’t stop there. In a fascinating collision of science and fabric, a material has been created that changes colour according to heat. From a scientific point of view, bandages that change colour in heat can help doctors spot infected wounds more easily and economically than current methods. In fashion terms, this might result in clothing that is in constant flux, never the same from minute to minute. In an industry that so craves change and novelty, this whole-body mood ring is surely the holy grail?

http://www.gizmag.com/color-changing-bandage/18878/
http://www.cutecircuit.com/
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