DBA Design Challenge 2002
 

Smart Wearables / Pearlfisher

Any young person will tell you that the way they dress is a crucial means of self-expression and an assertion of their identity. Ask a disabled person and they'll say that the need for fashionable clothing increases in direct proportion to the severity of disability and is a vital way of confronting and overcoming prejudice. Pearlfisher worked with a sharp and stylish young group of users who said what they wanted in no uncertain terms. The result is a clothing collection that is seriously hot and seriously cool and is a boon on a cold winter's night for people of all ages at risk of hypothermia.
 

How Do They Work?

The collection features OUTLAST- a temperature regulating micro thermal fabric developed by NASA which works in the following way:

• Excess heat generated by the body is absorbed by the fabric
• Heat is distributed throughout the fabric reducing hot and cold spots
• When necessary this stored heat is released back to the body so that the temperature is always just right

Pearlfisher worked with a group of young users with physical and visual disabilities to develop a collection that is sharp, stylish, easy to wear and crucially easy to put on and take off. Great attention has been paid to fastenings and openings - zips are strategically placed for carer-assisted dressing and maximum comfort for wheelchair users. Magnetic buttons and Velcro make fastening garments a breeze for visually impaired consumers while LED and reflective strip features add excitement and added safety when they are out walking. Pockets have been integrated to allow mobile phones to be stored yet always within reach.

This modular collection includes both formal and informal wear for all seasons and allows the wearer to flexibly chose their look for the day and the occasion. The garments were highly praised by the models for their style, inbuilt flexibility and lightweight qualities and the crucial fact that they met both their emotional and functional needs.