THOUGHT
8. Suits of Armor
The instinct to cover our bodies for protection
came before the desire to decorate ourselves,
initially from the elements and eventually from
each other. Combat necessitated the shielding of
vulnerable parts of the body during warfare. The
major sections of armor broke down into helmet
(head), gauntlets (forearms), gorget (neck),
breastplate (torso), greaves (legs), and chain
mail (for areas that did not allo w for rigid plates).
It is interesting to note that some of the early
versions of bulletproof fabric were made of many
layers of silk due to the strength of the fibers.
Although Kevlar's ballistic fabric is currently the
standard, experiments with spider silk are finding
that it has not only comparable strength, but also
elasticity.
Modern-day fashion design can provide protec
tion in new, innovative, and relevant ways. In a
society that values mobility, the development
of lightweight, wearable architecture speaks to
fashion designers concerned with social issues
such as survival and homelessness. Contempo
rary visual artist Lucy Orta created the Habitent
as part of her exhibition called "Refuge Wear and
Body Architecture (1992-1998)." These works
examine the common factors that both architec
ture and fashion design share. They also address
a shift in global consciousness regarding what
we produce and why.
22 Fashion Design Essentials
Right: A model wears a silver
ensemble from Jean-Charles
de Castelbajac's ready-to
wear show, 2010.
Below: Refuge Wear
Habitent: Aluminum-coated
polyamide, two telescopic
aluminum poles, whistle, and
compass; copyright 2011 by
Lucy + Jorge Orta
