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Looking for something chic yet functional to turn heads in a warzone? Look no further.
Amid the hottest new threads on show at the Air New Zealand Fashion Week is the ultimate in fabric for the everyday man or woman on a dangerous mission.
Stab and flame resistant, the material developed by researchers at AgResearch's base near Christchurch will be displayed on a mannequin at the main gallery during fashion's big week.
The stab-resistant vest is made from a knitted Vectran based fabric (a non-cut, ultra-high-strength liquid crystal polymer) and combined with short wool fibre that is packed into the outer fabric surface.
AgResearch isn't suggesting the fabric is suitable for patrolling Baghdad but thinks it could find a niche for nightclub bouncers or military in "lower-grade" situations.
Researcher Maree Hamilton-Chisholm said the fabric would resist puncture or knife penetration, was lightweight, comfortable to wear and had the dual benefits of breathability and comfort of wool. The fabric was suitable for casual vests or jackets.
The wool is flame resistant and when exposed to severe heat will char into carbon, but will not ignite. This carbon then forms a protective barrier against further heat.
"This is offered as an alternative stab-, cut- and fire-resistant fabric developed to protect the wearer from the ever-changing and sometimes-hostile world we live in," Ms Hamilton-Chisholm said.
Also modelled by the mannequin is a machine-washable suit that, in a world first, is made from 100 per cent wool without the use of any chemicals, is shrink resistant and has high natural stretch. The Natural Easy Care fabric was developed by AgResearch's textiles team for client Australian Wool Innovations AWI. There is still some work required before this suit is fully viable.
AgResearch senior scientist Dr Surinder Tandon has visited China, Korea, Japan and Mexico to advise manufacturers on retro-fitting spinning frames for the technology.
