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The LBD Gets an Update With the Debut of the First Dress Made with Graphene
Partially made from the world's thinnest, strongest material, lights on the dress change color based on the wearer's breathing rate
smithsonian.com
by Jason Daley
1/26/2017
Excerpt:
Graphene, which was isolated by scientists in 2004, is a wonder material. Made from a crystal lattice of carbon one-atom thick, it has incredible properties: it's the world’s thinnest material, harder than diamond, bendable and conductive. Needless to say, it has almost endless potential uses (it’s being used to create tiny computer circuits, create ultralight watches, make atomic scale pipes and aircraft skin, among other things). But one of its most fashion-forward uses was just unveiled: graphene as applied to the little black dress.
Sarah Walters at the Manchester Evening News reports that designer Francesca Rosella of the company CuteCircuit, which mashes up electronics and clothing, teamed up with the University of Manchester’s National Graphene Institute and the intu Trafford Centre, a shopping mall, to create a dress that integrates graphene into its design.
“Graphene is still very much in its infancy for real world applications and showcasing its amazing properties through the forum of fashion is very exciting,” Paul Wiper, research associate at the Graphene Institute tells Walters. “The dress is truly one of a kind and shows what creativity, imagination and a desire to innovate can create using graphene and related two-dimensional materials.”
The dress was displayed yesterday at the Trafford Centre by former Britain’s Next Top Model contestant Bethan Sowerby. This particular dress responds to its wearer with tiny LED lights changing color based on their breathing rate. Josh Halliday at The Guardian reports that graphene was used to power the LEDs and act a sensor. Lightweight nylon was used on the rest of the dress. The team that made the dress sees this as just the first step for fashion and graphene and that in the future it could lead to dresses that can be programmed to show designs or change color.
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View the complete article, including image and links, at:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-...uts-180961928/
Partially made from the world's thinnest, strongest material, lights on the dress change color based on the wearer's breathing rate
smithsonian.com
by Jason Daley
1/26/2017
Excerpt:
Graphene, which was isolated by scientists in 2004, is a wonder material. Made from a crystal lattice of carbon one-atom thick, it has incredible properties: it's the world’s thinnest material, harder than diamond, bendable and conductive. Needless to say, it has almost endless potential uses (it’s being used to create tiny computer circuits, create ultralight watches, make atomic scale pipes and aircraft skin, among other things). But one of its most fashion-forward uses was just unveiled: graphene as applied to the little black dress.
Sarah Walters at the Manchester Evening News reports that designer Francesca Rosella of the company CuteCircuit, which mashes up electronics and clothing, teamed up with the University of Manchester’s National Graphene Institute and the intu Trafford Centre, a shopping mall, to create a dress that integrates graphene into its design.
“Graphene is still very much in its infancy for real world applications and showcasing its amazing properties through the forum of fashion is very exciting,” Paul Wiper, research associate at the Graphene Institute tells Walters. “The dress is truly one of a kind and shows what creativity, imagination and a desire to innovate can create using graphene and related two-dimensional materials.”
The dress was displayed yesterday at the Trafford Centre by former Britain’s Next Top Model contestant Bethan Sowerby. This particular dress responds to its wearer with tiny LED lights changing color based on their breathing rate. Josh Halliday at The Guardian reports that graphene was used to power the LEDs and act a sensor. Lightweight nylon was used on the rest of the dress. The team that made the dress sees this as just the first step for fashion and graphene and that in the future it could lead to dresses that can be programmed to show designs or change color.
.................................................
View the complete article, including image and links, at:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-...uts-180961928/