Red wine never gets out of clothes when it is spilled on delicate fabric. But what if the delicate fabric you were wearing was made out of red wine? You wouldn’t have to be worried about it coming out of your dress, that’s for sure!
I love a good glass of red wine, don’t you? Aside from having a number of health benefits, wine just tastes good. But, for some of us out there, we can be a bit klutzy and spill the wine on our clothes. Oh the pain, oh the agony, oh the dry cleaning bill trying to get it out. But if you had a dress made of red wine, then you wouldn’t have to worry, would you?
A research team from the University of Western Australia has started to create wearable clothing made from red wine. By adding bacteria, known as acetobacter, to red wine, they have created an interesting fabric, akin to cotton, that can make not only dresses but shirts and bathing suits as well. The bacteria create a scum-like layer which is harvested and then dried onto an inflatable mannequin in the shape of the dress. Once done, the mannequin is deflated and the dress remains.
While this new red wine fabric is still in the early stages of its development, it is quite a possibility that within a few years time we will be seeing “red wine clothing” at all major clothing retailers. According to lead researcher Gary Cass – “This project redefines the production of woven materials. By combining art and science knowledge and with a little inventiveness, the ultimate goal will be to produce a bacterial fermented seamless garment that forms without a single stitch.”
However, before running to the closest mall and asking for the “red wine fashion section,” keep in mind that the technology is not quite there yet and it will still be a bit of time before we see models strutting their stuff down the runway in a Merlot of Pinot Noir dress. The major wall researchers are hitting right now is the fact that once dried, the material turns into soft tissue paper, which tears easily. How embarrassing would that be! Right now the dress needs to remain damp to be effective…and not be arrested for indecent exposure!
This story was first brought to our attention by the good folks at Oddity Central.
For more funky and fun forays into fashion (yea for alliteration!) check out this awesome Mario dress or some really geeky video game bow ties.
