Fashion in Space?

kandela writes "It seems the fashion industry has taken an interest in the space industry. Space.com is running a story about the Hyper Space Couture Design Contest, a fashion competition sponsored by the Japanese space agency, JAXA, and Rocketplane Ltd. for clothes that look good in zero gravity. The best designs will appear in a fashion show in Tokyo this fall." From the article: "Onuki said that, in working with fashion designer, Ms. Matsui, the intent is to cross-thread mathematics, science, art, and physics with fashion. To date, there have been several kickoff events, as well as fashion shows to stir interest in the multi-step contest. At the end of March, contest officials had received 882 drawings by 365 individuals. Last month, the top 10 designs plus three alternate designs were picked. The actual winner, second and third place will be selected later this year."

Comments

Function over Form

[Hungry Admin]

Zero-gravity is a place where function is certainly going to be more important than form.

On the other hand, one could combine the two, but that would require an awful lot of knowledge.

Shape and material may have some unusual constraints for safety and maneuverability reasons, but there's no reason why color, artistry, or useful features could not make a jumpsuit into something a lot cooler. If I were going into zero-gee I would need a special pocket just for barf bags. Maybe automatically recycle it so that I don't go into electrolyte imbalance.

I would like to see something built into the clothing that makes me exercise while doing normal work - with no gravity, muscles and bones degenerate rapidly.

I would appreciate smart thrusters built into the clothing that would perform station-keeping, so I could press on things without rebounding across the room.

This could be a really cool contest, worthy of Q department in her Majesty's Secret Service. Functionality with a flair.

Maybe I should go to work for NASA.

The Hungry Admin

Really, is this so much of a challenge?

[loraksus]

It isn't like these people are going to live up there for months at a time - they will go up for a few hours and then come back.
Do you really need a new wardrobe?
Pants will work just fine in zero gee, as will most shirts, especially if they are tucked in.
If you want a skirt / dress, great, toss some plastic strips (hell, zip ties would probably work) inside to prevent it from floating up (or don't, I don't think most /.'ers will mind seeing the trophy wives that go up doing a futuristic M. Monroe thing ;)
And what the hell is with some of the designs? It looks like someone took drugs while watching the jetsons on one tv and anime on the other and then started drawing. Extra crap will only cause problems since the people are going to be sitting for most of the flight.
I do think that realistically, if a couple drops a couple (dozen) million for a trip up there and as the zero g time grows longer, there is a good chance that a couple will want to have sex up there - with the company's approval or not, so I think that skirts will become pretty popular (unless the company provides a jumpsuit to prevent "easy access"). Call it the 100 mile high club or whatever. I haven't seen many numbers on it, but every time I've flown internationally, I've seen at least one couple go into the bathroom together - nobody talks about it, but it seems to be fairly accepted as long as it is discreet.

Shuttle / station crews...

[jpellino]

Have been picking their non-technical garb (i.e., shirts, as you ened the velcro-laden shorts and pants) from Lands' End and adding mission patches, however the gov contract menas Lands' End can't brag about it... Ditto Acorns slipper-socks.