Paul F. Davis | Photo Editor
Since the term “fashion” was first keyed, it has always been centered around the craft and artistry of skilled seamstresses and how they could manipulate their materials into wearable pieces of art.
In the 1800s, women’s and men’s clothing were made exclusively out of natural cloths, such as cotton, wool, leather and silk, so the only way to show the level of fashionability was through intricacy of design. This intricacy meant that clothing was heavy, unwieldy and uncomfortable when compared to today’s standards. But with the turn of 20th century in sight, the discomfort that fashion posed began to change.
In 1884, rayon was invented: the first synthetic clothing material. Later, when rayon was released to the masses, it was praised because it was a cheap stand-in for silk, something that was very spendy at the time. This new wonder material ushered in a new age of material science breakthroughs because people no longer wanted to feel restrained by their clothes, and they now knew that that request was not unreasonable. Materials like nylon, polyester, velcro and spandex along with other production techniques were created soon after.
With this change from natural to artificial materials, fashion was forever changed. One could make statements about their fashionability without super complicated patchwork; all a person needed now was a shirt that could be anything with one screenprint.
With the turn of a new century, the process of creating new and more desirable science fiction materials into science fact is accelerating. Materials, and the production of those materials, is quickly becoming an equal or even more important part of fashion than the style of the clothing itself, which is a change from the past.
In the last decade, the most coveted and acclaimed pieces of clothing have not been known for their cut or style; they have almost exclusively focused on the material used. Yeezy Boosts, a shoe that can resell for up to $1,300 even though it has a simple silhouette is rather coveted for their sole material: Boost. This material claims that it has the highest energy return of any sole ever invented. In addition to the Boost’s high energy return qualities, these shoes have been credited with re-establishing Adidas atop the sportswear sector, a spot they were quickly beginning to lose.
Another material that created excitement in the fashion industry was created in a collaboration between Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Reebok, a material called Biologic, the first bio-dynamic material to be integrated into clothing. Biologic is bacteria culture sandwiched between two layers of latex cover that when exposed heat will begin to fold due to a size increase in the bacteria. This folding property, when combined with another fabric, can create a material that will actively cool off the user and warm the user when temperature is correct.
In the near future, materials will be the only thing that matter when choosing fashion and we will soon scoff at the fashion of past for its ridiculous over-complication a future that we all should look forward to.
Contact the author at pfdavis14@wou.edu
