At a glance 2 min

A dress sprayed straight onto the body

French brand Coperni caused a sensation at the finale of Paris Fashion Week in early October by spraying a dress onto model Bella Hadid live on the catwalk.
A dress sprayed straight onto the body
A dress sprayed straight onto the body

Developing a material to dress the body!

A spray-on dress, or how to develop a material and dress models in unique creations?

A pure moment of magic proposed by the designers at Coperni. It must be said that Arnaud Vaillant and Sébastien Meyer, who relaunched their brand in 2019 after their stint at Courrèges, have no equal when it comes to using technological advances to serve their desires. They had previously made their mark with heated coats and 3D prints.

This season, they teamed up with Fabrican, a London-based materials science company, to make the dress worn by famous model Bella Hadid live on-stage.

Hadid, wearing only panties, witnessed a dress come to life on her body thanks to a solution composed of cotton and synthetic fibres sprayed directly onto her skin with paint guns. As it dried, the material solidified and became fabric, revealing a minimalist white dress with open shoulders in a matter of minutes. The famous model was then able to stroll down the catwalk in front of a stunned audience!    

Pushing the limits of technology

This technology, patented under the name "Fabrican Spray-on fabric ©", makes it possible to create an instantly sprayable non-woven fabric. Invented by Manuel Torres, it is the result of many years of research and development since 2003. Its aim: to free the fashion industry from the long and laborious process of making clothes. (See our article https://plastic-lemag.com/Vetement-futuriste-Manuel_Torres).

The material developed by Fabrican©, his company, is composed of natural polymers such as cotton, or synthetic fibres such as nylon and cellulose, which are bathed in a liquid solution, like a solvent. This liquid suspension is sprayed on using a spray gun or an aerosol can. On contact with the skin, the liquid evaporates and the fibres stick together, creating a tailor-made garment. The versatility of this sprayable fabric coating allows it to adapt to any shape. Once worn, it can be removed, washed and then worn again. It can also be put back into the solvent to be melted and then re-sprayed onto another body over and over again. Fabrican© can also be used to create new garments from recycled textiles without threads or seams. It can also be used to repair clothing.

Beyond the fashion industry, Fabrican© technology could find applications in the automotive sector, and even more so in the medical field, notably for the manufacture of plasters, bandages and moulds.

More information:
​​​​​​​https://www.fabricanltd.com/

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