January 2008
We are entering a new age of perfumery. The sense of smell is our most ancient and primitive sense. Recent scientific research is showing that our sense of smell is much more important in our emotional lives than we had previously known.
We start our lives by smell-bonding with our mothers and we continue by forming romantic attachments with partners whose body aroma re-echoes this early, primal, olfactory experience. Aromas can also affect our moods and feelings.
This research project is a new development taking inspiration from biology and the delicate delivery system of animals and insects. It conjures up multi-sensorial clothing based around the sense of smell. The approach to fashion design introduces the living garment as a SMART SECOND SKIN.
Clothing (and jewelry) become almost living as if copying the human skin, our senses and circulation system. A micro pump is integrated within the design which represents the 'heart', micro tubes represent the 'veins and arteries' and various biosensors mimic the senses to create a new interactive fabric communication system in clothing.
Fragrances are actively 'pulsed' electronically through a micro cabling system in the fabric web. The dress has its own nervous system, which allows the wearer to control the emotional wellbeing of the garments. It reacts on body functions of the wearer and is an extension of the human body. The fabric emits a selection of scents to create novel olfactory experiences as part of the sensory appeal and will eventually replace the traditional perfume bottle (no need to carry a bottle when you clothes contain it all).
Fashion has a reason; it is a display of personal identity, primarily through strong visual cues. The Scentsory Design research project is inspired by the human circulation and nervous systems, by exploring smart fabrics that are not as passive as microencapsulation systems. The aim is to add more sensations into the fashion palette in ways that create radical new fashion properties with real benefit.
Scentsory Design chooses scent as a tool to improve mental and physical wellbeing, enabling the wearer to act on visual cues or detect scent signals, allowing immediate information. Scentsory Design creates Emotional Fashion: responsive clothes that offer social and therapeutic value in a desirable fashion context.
The fabrics are designed for psychological end benefits such as stress-reduction, by incorporating biosensors and microfluidics to initiate scent delivery. The biosensors detect stress physiologically and the microfluidics produce a scent that can reduce stress, boost energy, relax or improve concentration.
The aim is to produce an intimate scent 'bubble' that delivers benefit chemicals in controlled ways responding to personal needs. Airbourne nano-litre sized droplets of fragrance are dispensed allowing for efficient scent delivery that is targeted to specific parts of the body. The wearer's confidence in their visual identity is thus enhanced by sensory, psychological and medical wellbeing.
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