By: Melany Millor Rodriguez 

When Bella Hadid walked onto the runway at Coperni’s Spring 2023 show in Paris, the world collectively paused. A team of technicians sprayed her body with a mysterious mist, which, within minutes, transformed into a sleek white dress. The moment instantly took over social media, headlining multiple posts and news reports about the groundbreaking performance. This spectacle would go down in fashion history as one of the most extraordinary innovations in fashion science and technology. Behind the flash photography and the choreography of the models walking the runway lies something innovative. As Bella Hadid stood still under the spotlight of the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris, her body became the canvas for French designers Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant to manifest couture and scientific innovation.

How Does it Work? 

The science behind the spectacle lies behind Fabrican – a patented spray-on fabric technology made by Spanish inventor and fashion designer Dr. Manel Torres. The material combines liquid polymers with short fibers – natural or synthetic – in an aerosol can. When the aerosol is released, the mixture is forced through a nozzle by pressure, breaking down the mixture into small droplets that result in a mist. When the mist lands, its interaction with air and body heat leads to the evaporation of the solvent. This evaporation signifies only the polymers and fibers are spared. The remaining fibers begin to overlap as the polymers act as a glue that bonds these fibers together into a thin layer known as “nonwoven fabric”. 

In just a few seconds, the solvent is completely dissolved resulting in a solid, yet workable layer. As seen on the runway, Dr. Torres Coperni’s stylists used a hand-molding technique to shape the neckline of Bella Hadid’s dress in real time. By manipulating the fabric with a pair of scissors, the team was able to transform the chemistry experiment into an elegant garment.

Fabrican & Sustainability 

Fabrican holds promising implications for sustainability in fashion. In contrast to traditional textiles which are dependent on resource-intensive production, Fabrican implements closed loop fashion. Fabrican complies with this concept in that its materials can be dissolved and used to make new fabric. Its sustainable attribute paves the way for the reduction of textile waste. In essence, Fabrican offers a new approach to sustainability in fashion by use of technology. 

The Evolution of Fashion-Tech 

In recent years, “Fashion-Tech” has become an increasingly popular term in the fashion industry. Used to define the integration of technology in the fashion industry, its application can be found in our everyday lives, from virtual try-on devices, to the heart rate sensor on your smart watch. 

Coperni’s Spring 2023 show exemplifies this intersection between two seemingly incompatible disciplines. When Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant came together with Dr. Manel Torres (i.e. the creator of Fabrican), they used spectacle to ignite the possibility. As technology reshapes the fashion industry, it becomes clear–the future of design is full of endless possibilities, woven seamlessly with science and becoming a frontier of innovation.