Solar-powered clothes
Art by Physicist, a Silicon Valley tech-fashion startup, focusing on sustainable, electronically enhanced fashion for women, teamed up with ARMOR ASCA to create solar-powered clothes. The overcoat and the dress designed by Art by Physicist integrate flexible lotus-shaped ASCA® organic photovoltaic films (OPV) made by ARMOR ASCA allowing people to charge their electronic devices on-the-go (up to 5V). The overcoat and the dress will be manufactured and shipped in October 2021 (one can still order the products on the Art by Physicist's website).
“When I designed the Lotus overcoat and the Guilin dress, I already had in mind the technologies I’d like to integrate. I discovered the lotus-shaped ASCA® film, and thought it fitted perfectly with my designs inspired by nature. The ASCA® team showed me first a dress prototype integrating the OPV film in order to establish the most suitable connection solutions in line with my requirements. I appreciate how naturally the collaboration ran” explains Dr. Kitty Yeung, founder of Art by Physicist.
“Thanks to our integration know-how and the ASCA® film properties – lightness, flexibility, semi-transparency – this solution is perfectly suited for textile applications requiring a design and aesthetic integration. The lotus-shaped OPV is a great example of what ASCA® can offer to the design industry” comments Mathilde Berger, project manager at ARMOR ASCA.
A sustainable electronically enhanced fashion
The overcoat and the dress fabrics designed by Art by Physicist are digitally printed on-demand using an eco-friendly digital printing process avoiding excess manufacturing and using less water. 100% recoverable and made of non-toxic materials, the ASCA® film embedded in clothing can be easily removed, replaced, and disposed as any other electronics.
“This technology-powered collection is inspired directly by the beauty of nature and science, and I want to contribute back to where my inspiration comes from. That’s why 5% of the money earned on Kickstarter will be donated to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) and environmental protection non-profits” says Dr. Kitty Yeung.
Towards endless possibilities thanks to cutting-edge technologies
The overcoat and the dress are part of a new innovative e-textile collection that also includes wearables such as a self-heating reversible coat, a WiFi-programmable dress, customizable LED fabric designs and Bluetooth accessories.
“Now that I have all these different kinds of technologies, the next step for my brand will be to go even further in the production on-demand by enabling customization. In the near future, customers would be able to add the desired technology on the garment of their choice” explains Dr. Kitty Yeung. “We are delighted to work with Art by Physicist on a project that shows the endless possibilities of our technology” concludes Mathilde Berger.
