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Chemists make giant leap on the catwalk

6 April 1996

FASHION boldly went where it had never gone before last week as part of a
show to demonstrate chemistry’s contribution to clothes design over the years.
The Royal Society of Chemistry, which organised the show to cap a five-month
public awareness campaign in Huddersfield, included the spacesuit to highlight
the range of modern materials worn by astronauts. Even more eye-catching were
creations made from plastics and rubber by renowned fashion designers.

Japanese designer Mishiko Koshino made the inflatable and see-through
garments to the left of the picture. “Mishiko is famous for the inflatable
clothes she pioneered in the mid-1980s, and modern-day fabrics play a huge role
in helping her achieve her highly directional designs,” says a spokeswoman for
the designer. To the right are rubber-based garments by the British designer
Stewart Vern.

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