SILLY STRING SCIENCE SURPRISES AT PARIS FASHION WEEK
Sipping on an oat milk latte and perusing the highlights from Paris Fashion Week, one can't help but be mesmerized by a particular moment at the Coperni show. A white dress was literally spray-painted onto the ever-stunning Bella Hadid in real-time, and it's hard not to think, "Now that's what you call fast fashion!" But wait, there's more! A mysterious woman in all black proceeded to mold the paint into off-shoulder sleeves and snip a slit at the bottom, as if she were Edward Scissorhands' long-lost cousin.
This fashion sorcery, dear avant-garde enthusiasts, is actually the result of a material science innovation that's been brewing for over two decades. Enter Manel Torres, creator of Fabrican (presumably a cheeky portmanteau of "fabric in a can"). The man found inspiration in the realms of silly string and spiderwebs - an unlikely but brilliant combination.
In a 2013 Ted Talk, Torres enlightened the masses about how his spray-on fabric transforms into a solid, stretchy, suede-esque material upon contact with air. The secret sauce, or rather Fabrican, is a cocktail of liquid polymers, additives, binders like natural latex, cross-linked natural and synthetic fibers, and a fast-evaporating solvent like acetone. The fibers can range from polyester to wool - talk about versatility!
But wait, it gets even more fabulous. Torres envisions a world where people strut into a booth, customize their outfits, and have them 3D printed onto their bodies à la Jetsons-style. Plus, Fabrican could be used for on-the-go clothing repairs - a true game changer for those wardrobe malfunctions.
As the fashion industry grapples with its environmental impact, Fabrican seems to be making strides towards sustainability. According to their website, they use recycled fibers from discarded clothes and other fabrics, and even dabble in biodegradable materials to reduce their carbon footprint. And get this - the sprayed fabrics can be re-dissolved and sprayed anew. Talk about a fashion revolution!
But Torres doesn't stop at conquering the fashion world. His canned fabric has potential applications in the biomedical field as well, such as sterile wound dressings and instant bandages. Companies like Nanomedic are even exploring the use of sprays and 3D printed polymers for sealing injured skin. And who knows, maybe one day people will be sitting on Fabrican foam seats in their electric cars, flaunting their sustainable, spray-painted ensembles.
So, raise a glass (or rather, a reusable coffee cup) to Manel Torres and his magical material, it's hard not to wonder what other fashionable innovations await in the not-so-distant future. Will people be rocking mushroom leather or seaweed couture? Only time will tell, but for now, let's revel in the delightful absurdity of spray-on fashion. Cheers!
