Fashion For Hypochondriacs

Fashion and science make a killer couple. Who knew? Apparently Cornell University student Olivia Ong had more in mind than designing the style of the season when she created two health-oriented pieces for her fashion line, “Glitterati”.

By CC Staff

With the help of a researcher and a fiber science assistant professor, the upper portion of Ong’s gold dress is made up of cotton infused with silver nanoparticles. What does this mean? Ong’s dress could prevent you from getting a cold or the flu! The silver nanoparticles possess a natural ability to resist bacteria, which results in the elimination of a variety of harmful bacteria and viruses that the wearer may encounter day to day. Another benefit to the tiny silver nanoparticles is that they prevent the garment from becoming dirty or stained. Bad news for laundromats everywhere – this dress doesn’t need to be washed.

The other groundbreaking piece that Ong designed was the denim “anti-smog” jacket. This jacket was infused with palladium nanoparticles, giving it the ability to destroy harmful gases and protect the wearer from contamination in the air. In other words, those of us who spent a lot of time in New York City wouldn’t have to worry about our lungs blackening every time we encounter a truck billowing with fumes.

While the nanoparticles on Ong’s pieces may pose health risks and the fabric for her creations is beyond unaffordable at nearly $10,000 per square yard, her invention shows that fashion may be moving in a new direction. Will the days of fashion over function soon be looming in the past?