The textile body suit has been known as a textile innovation to evolve and/or enhance human functions. I am briefly going to research some of the textile body suits that have done this. It is truly amazing how designer, scientists and entrepreneurs have come up with the idea to use textiles to evolve the properties of human actions and functions that otherwise aren’t normally possible.
The Infinity Burial Suit
‘The Centers for Disease Control in the US says we have 219 toxic chemicals in our body. These include tobacco residues, dry cleaning chemicals, pesticides, fungicides, flame retardants, heavy metals, preservatives, etc. The CDC reports that the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA), a synthetic estrogen and plastic hardener which causes reproductive and neurological damage, is found in 93% of adults age 6 and older’ – http://infinityburialproject.com/faq
To watch a powerful Seminar from artist Jae Rhim Lee. Click the link below. She demonstrates that we can commit our bodies to a cleaner, greener Earth, even after death.
http://www.ted.com/talks/jae_rhim_lee?language=en#t-47007
The infinity burial project proposes a burial alternative in the form of a body suit which promotes and faciliates an individual engagement with the process of decomposition. The project features the development of a unique strain of mushroom that decomposes and remediates toxins in human tissue. When cremated these toxins return to the environment released into the atmosphere including “£5000 of mercury from our dental fillings alone every year” – Jae Rhim Lee. 2011. Jae Rhim Lee Infinity Body Suit. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.ted.com/talks/jae_rhim_lee?language=en#t-89333. [Accessed 01 January 15]
Along with many other types of burials which causes further toxins into the atmosphere as described within Jae Rhim Lee’s Seminar.
The burial suit contains infinity mushrooms which help decompose our bodies by feeding on dead skin cells as well as neutralizing and decomposing the toxins safely into the atmosphere and feeding it back into the environment. These mushrooms are “trained” to recognize human cells and be able to feed off the dead cells and decompose of them properly. The best of these mushrooms are picked and used for the burial suit.
I think that this is a truly inspirational and amazing idea as it helps with the idea of a cleaner world and helping against pollution that adds to global warming and the pollution of our atmosphere.
Jae Rhim Lee, (2011), Infinity Burial Project [ONLINE]. Available at: http://infinityburialproject.com/[Accessed 01 January 15].
Armoured Compression Body Suit
“Our initial focus for this fabric is NASA’s potential space mission to Mars, since astronauts are exposed to many different situations that have the potential to cause irreversible harm to the body. This extremely hostile environment requires a fabric that will protect the wearer from hazards emanating from outer space, the space craft itself, and health problems from the human body’s reaction to antigravity conditions. We intend that our 3D integrated fabric can provide is a flexible, elastic and yet highly durable body hugging suit that is flame retardant without chemicals, anti-microbial and odor resistant, laceration resistant, anti –static, corrosion resistant, EMF microwave, and RF shielded while also being a compression garment. On Earth radiation is a danger faced by the military, health care workers, and the first-responder in many different scenarios. Next generation versions would be applied to other extreme career wear, in military, medical, energy, & first responders.” –
Fabdesigns. 2013. Light weight, flexible radiation space suit with compression & fire resistance,. [ONLINE] Available at: http://launch.skild.com/skild2/challenge-launch/viewEntryDetail.action?pid=47652. [Accessed 01 January 15].
The functions of this body suit are:
Light weight
flexible
radiation space suit with compression
fire resistance
This suit has the potential to be a breakthrough in protective spacewear as it provides radiation protection for astronaughts with high-degree of flexibility and additional fire-resistance. The dangerous levels of radiation that astronauts are exposed to beyond the Earth’s orbit remains a significant health risk.
I think this health risk could become a challenge for deeper exploration of the Solar System. Therefore this “Armoured Compression” body suit could help the challenge.
The suit is created out of highly technical fabrications using industrial flat knitting machinery typically used for making sweaters.
FabDesigns, (2013), Armoured Compression [ONLINE]. Available at:http://launch.skild.com/skild2/challenge-launch/viewEntryDetail.action?pid=47652 [Accessed 01 January 15].
Catalytic Clothing
‘Catalytic Clothing is the inspired, collaborative project from Professor and designer Helen Storey and scientist Tony Ryan; exploring the ways in which ‘catalytic’ technology can be applied to clothing and textiles to purify the air around them, in turn utilizing fashion to play an active role in the sustainability of our environment.’
‘In a partnership between The University of Sheffield and London College of Fashion, and ‘a public experiment between Fashion and Science’, Storey and Ryan have created a way of adding the process of photocatalysis to fabric: trapping air pollution and breaking it down into safe and harmless matter, which is then recycled through the air.’
‘The idea of clothing as sensory and advantageous to our environment is as beautiful as it is thought provoking, and something Stylesight touches on in our Sensing Matter forecast for F/W 2012 – Philippa Wagner.’
Louise Trainor. 2011. Innovation: Catalytic Clothing. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.wgsn.com/blogs/homebuildlife/innovation-catalytic-clothing. [Accessed 01 January 15].
- This technology of the catalytic clothing can be applied to clothing and textiles to purify the air around them
- Filters Pollution from the air
- It uses light to break down air-borne pollution into harmless chemicals
I feel this is a great idea to utilize fashion to play an active role in the sustainability of our environment.
Adam Mufti, (2011), Catalytic Clothing [ONLINE]. Available at:http://www.wgsn.com/blogs/homebuildlife/innovation-catalytic-clothing [Accessed 01 January 15].
‘(In)Visible Membrane’ Body Suit
Australian designer Sonja Baumel goes one step further with her “(in)visible membranes: Life on the Human Body and its Design Applications’ project, a fusion of fashion, philosophy, and science that explores how bacteria on our skin could be used to create clothing. Or in her own words, how we could witness the ‘transformation of invisible skin bacteria on our living body to visible bacteria on a body external medium’ –
Abigail Doan . 2009. Gross or Glorious?. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ecouterre.com/gross-or-glorious-austrian-designer-creates-clothing-from-your-bodys-bacteria/. [Accessed 01 January 15].
Repelled by heat, the fibers build up in areas that require the most warmth and insulation.
‘The most compelling of her experiments is “Crocheted Membrane,” a time-based visualization of how bacteria might grow to create complex fiber layers that react to an individual’s unique body temperature. Repelled by heat, the fibers build up in areas that require the most warmth and insulation, resulting in a body-hugging silhouette that is “organic” far beyond the realm of natural textiles as we know them.’-
Abigail Doan . 2009. Gross or Glorious?. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ecouterre.com/gross-or-glorious-austrian-designer-creates-clothing-from-your-bodys-bacteria/. [Accessed 01 January 15].
Sonja Baumel, (2011), Bacteria Textile [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.sonjabaeumel.at/ [Accessed 01 January 15].
Sonja Baumel, (2011), Crochet Membrane [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.sonjabaeumel.at/[Accessed 01 January 15].
This idea of creating a second layer of clothing out of our bacteria does not sound the most appealing however perhaps this could have a different function? perhaps human bacteria textiles could be turned into a medical textile that can be changed medicines?
I really want to carry on this idea of the human bacteria textile in relation to medical textiles. I would like to research and analyse this further by looking into whether this is possible and its different functions and properties aswell as experimenting with its functionality and sustainability.
Bibliography
Online Image
Adam Mufti, (2011), Catalytic Clothing [ONLINE]. Available at:http://www.wgsn.com/blogs/homebuildlife/innovation-catalytic-clothing [Accessed 01 January 15].
FabDesigns, (2013), Armoured Compression [ONLINE]. Available at:http://launch.skild.com/skild2/challenge-launch/viewEntryDetail.action?pid=47652 [Accessed 01 January 15].
Jae Rhim Lee, (2011), Infinity Burial Project [ONLINE]. Available at: http://infinityburialproject.com/[Accessed 01 January 15].
Sonja Baumel, (2011), Crochet Membrane [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.sonjabaeumel.at/[Accessed 01 January 15].
Sonja Baumel, (2011), Bacteria Textile [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.sonjabaeumel.at/ [Accessed 01 January 15].
Websites
Abigail Doan . 2009. Gross or Glorious?. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ecouterre.com/gross-or-glorious-austrian-designer-creates-clothing-from-your-bodys-bacteria/. [Accessed 01 January 15].
Fabdesigns. 2013. Light weight, flexible radiation space suit with compression & fire resistance,. [ONLINE] Available at: http://launch.skild.com/skild2/challenge-launch/viewEntryDetail.action?pid=47652. [Accessed 01 January 15].
Jae Rhim Lee. 2011. Jae Rhim Lee Infinity Body Suit. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.ted.com/talks/jae_rhim_lee?language=en#t-89333. [Accessed 01 January 15]
Louise Trainor. 2011. Innovation: Catalytic Clothing. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.wgsn.com/blogs/homebuildlife/innovation-catalytic-clothing. [Accessed 01 January 15].
Textile Innovation 