Fashion Law Journal
The essence of fashion itself has always been highly variable and adaptable at the same time. A number of designers create new types of fashion and contribute to the industry’s expansion by doing so. On the other hand, has anyone ever considered the possibility that a “spray” could be applied to the body, and once it dried, the “spray” could function as a dress on its own? This is an accurate description of what took place during New York Fashion Week in 2022.
Bella Hadid, one of the most famous models of all time, walked onto the stage being half naked while running for the Parisian ready to wear brand Coperni and its Spring-Summer collection 2023. The fact that she covered her breasts and wore nothing but a nude thong and high heels has caused the video to go viral since nothing as such has been showcased in the NYFW before. A white substance was sprayed all over her body by two designers while she stood patiently for more than eight minutes. After a while, it became solid and the head of design of Coperni, Charlotte Raymond, then styled the dress by shaping the straps and neckline of the dress thereby making it off-shoulder and giving it a slit near the left thigh. It comes as a surprise to learn that the 25 year-old model, whose schedule was packed, did not practice at all for this event despite the fact that it was widely believed that doing so would require a significant amount of preparation in advance. Hadid describes this particular time in her life as both a highlight and a milestone in her journey.
The dress was compared to Alexander McQueen’s spring 1999 show, when Shalom Harlow wore a dress that was spray painted by robots. Sebastian Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant, the co-founders of Coperni, spent around six months at London’s Bioscience Innovation Centre collaborating with Torres and his team to design the dress that has made headlines around the world. It has even been suggested that the dress is integrated with devices that can monitor the health of the person who is wearing it. Fabrican is utilized in a wide range of other industries in addition to the fashion industry, including but not limited to healthcare, the packaging industry, the automotive industry, and others.
It is important to be aware that while this may appear to be quite new, it has actually been around for the better part of two decades. This is vital to understand because it could be a part of the future of fashion. Designed in 2003 by Manel Torres, a Spanish fashion designer who is known for incorporating elements of science and particularly chemistry into his work, the white substance that was sprayed is commonly referred to as “Fabrican.” Fabrican is a liquid tissue made up of polymers, additives, and a fiber that, once it comes into contact with air, transforms into a solid material. It is considered to be an instant spray-on.
In spite of the fact that more and more people are becoming aware of cruelty-free fashion and may view this dress as a threat to the environment due to the fact that it may involve chemicals and will not be easily broken down, the fact that Fabrican is derived from plants and is made of natural fibers is absolutely fascinating. It is not a one-time thing like using it once and then throwing it away; rather, it can be washed, and it can even be reused and sprayed again. It has to be put into a bottle, for that matter, to avoid it coming into contact with air. In addition to this, the Fabrican does not make use of any substances that deplete the ozone layer, which helps to reduce its overall carbon footprint.
Analyzing it from the point of view of intellectual property reveals that the Fabrican is a patented spray. This is because the dress itself is an invention, and as such, the inventor is entitled to claim several rights associated with making it known. As a result of the wearer’s ability to select from a variety of different combinations, the Fabrican unquestionably has the potential to be the future of fashion. Altering the composition of the chemical can also result in the creation of a variety of different surface textures. Fabrican can also include fragrances, thus enhancing the material.
The fashion industry has undoubtedly been taking inventions and incorporating them, leaving people speechless at first but soon enough inculcating them in their daily routine and wardrobe, and the Fabricon can in no time be inculcated and included in the wardrobe of many people since it is considered to be gender neutral as well. The real question that needs to be answered is how quickly can this take place, and the answer might be, “In almost no time at all.”
Author: Ishita Jawaharani
