Let’s talk wearable antivirus technology

Unusual times call for unusual projects Somesh Singh 45 is not a fashion designer although as a former professor at Ahmedabadrsquos National Institute of Design NID he has taught the likes of Rahul Mishra and Nachiket Barve Itrsquos a position he held for 14 years before taking over as director at Institute of Apparel Management which he quit in 2016 And his latest tryst with product design addresses the pandemic reality in the most effective way he knows by creating the CoVest jacketAfter launching fourlayer highdensity polyester masks layered with pleats instead of darts to allow air pockets for breathability Singh set out to see if he could make ldquosaferdquo clothes ldquoIt is virus everywhere but hidden from sight For design to stay relevant it has to engage with solutionsrdquoCreated in his Delhi studio the jacket is coated with a ViroBan nano finishmdashan advanced antiviral active textile finish that offers protection from airborne bacteria and viruses These are available in three handmade fabric versions Ajrakh print cotton linen and CemiFlex cement fabric combining natural and synthetic material that looks like leather ldquoThe full jacket weighs 125 kg while the sleeveless option is 750 gm Technology has no weightrdquo he laughsAnd here comes the fun bit each piece is fitted with social distancing sensors UVC LED sanitisation pockets a digital thermometer to reflect the wearerrsquos body temperature a battery charger and an inbuilt detachable face mask Singh explains ldquoThe prime design strategy was to make a strategic shift from fashion to function integrating smart technology which complies with guidelines of WHO World Health Organisation and ICMR Indian Council for Medical ResearchrdquoAntiviral fabrics typically require gentle washing techniques So Somesh Singhmdashcofounder Craft Village and its initiative India Craft Weekmdashdesigned and developed Safety CoVer which uses UVC technology to sanitise the CoVest jacket but also masks nontreated clothes and accessories It also comes with a 5watt USB port to charge electronic devices Four minutes and 30 seconds thatrsquos how long it takes to sanitise products and in return saves water using detergents that are a chief source of chemical pollutants money time and energy ldquoItrsquos proved to be a highly saleable product and I plan to scale up its productionrdquo adds SinghTo take the bluntness off a techdriven garment he decided to add the handmade touch He has sourced the organic cotton and Ajrakh blocks from national awardee Abdul Jabbar Khatri one of Bhujrsquos most revered artisans The seams are made from copper threads woven by master weavers in Banaras ldquoApart from copper being a natural conductor itrsquos also said to fight bacteria that can cling to clothingrdquoThis social impact project pushed Singh to consider how design could meet science and technology a question that textile manufacturers internationally have been asking Italyrsquos Albini Group which supplies dress shirts to luxury brands Prada Zegna and Armani has developed the new ViroFormula family of antiviral fabrics in partnership with Swiss company HeiQ WWD reported in January The Diesel Upfreshing project has infused new life into existing items of their Spring Summer 2020 collection by applying an innovative technology called Protector Shield This product from Nearchimica a fourdecadeold Italian chemical company is said to have certified antibacterial and antimicrobial qualities and a droplet barrierSomesh SinghBack home Grado synergy of Grasim Suiting and OCM is using Neo Tech technology certified by NABL National Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories to produce fabrics engineered for protection against viruses and microbes said in a report in Fibre2FashioncomThese efforts demonstrate that the new category of antibacterial and antiviral fabrics succeed when done in concert with others Fashion brands do not operate in a vacuum and are part of a larger system that includes policy makers researchers investors and the government ldquoWe canrsquot get there in one leaprdquo says Harmeet Bajaj academician and entrepreneur ldquoIn India we have to first go beyond the industryrsquos sustainability rhetoric and discuss biodiversity We are anyway slow on the uptake and the scale if you wish to take on something like this is large while support from the government is zilchrdquo she says of the challengeKanika Dev in a Bloni bodysuit made from Econyl regenerated nylon and handspun cotton in tiedye print styled with Giza type of Egyptian cotton cummerbundItrsquos not surprising then that Singhrsquos social entrepreneurship project was entirely selffunded and so far selfmarketed on his ecommerce website ldquoIt was an expensive undertaking the RampD itself totalled Rs 20 lakhrdquo says Singh ruing ldquoAnd traditional distributors just donrsquot get the merit of the productrdquoAkshat BansalAkshat Bansal agrees with Singh ldquoAre people in India even wearing masks Chances are that they wonrsquot care about antibacterial or antiviral fabric Also RampD requires funds effort and timerdquo In 2017 Bansal founded his label Bloni with a focus on fabric innovation He works regularly with Econyl a marine plastic waste nylon textile which wonrsquot stretch shrink or tear itrsquos designed to basically outlive the wearer and challenge fast fashion The India connection is featured with the inclusion of handspun cotton Chanderi weave and handcrafted bandhani or tie and dye printingAlso ReadWorld Environment Day How four Mumbaikars gave up fast fashion for thriftingPart of the Diesel Upfreshing range this crewneck sweatshirt is created using Protector Shield by Nearchimicamdasha combination of certificated antibacterial and antimicrobial product with a droplet barrier The Italian brand claims that the sweatshirt is protected against bacteria fungi and dust mitesThe designerrsquos use of Econyl and recycled parachute material a blend of nylonpolyester for In Between XYmdasha new collection launched in Marchmdashresonated instantly with the industry and media The buyers however are taking their time to catch up ldquoItrsquos going to take time for change to unfold and for customers to understand why a certain tailored Tshirt made from regenerated material costs Rs 7000 as opposed to a cheaper jersey option I am not sure if a customer would think differently about a garment if itrsquos specifically created to shield against the virusrdquo Bansal saysGaurav Gupta and Harmeet BajajAdditionally there are concerns among designers about the lack of sufficient research on the health and safety of antiviral fabrics even as experts are still to wrap their heads fully around the SARS CoV2 virus and how we can fight it ldquoIf I were to produce a pair of jeans using antiviral denim I have to be sure that my client wonrsquot suffer any side effects Until there is sound scientific research and clinical studies conducted about these fabrics being safe for human skin like with any new innovation itrsquos a tricky place to be inrdquo says designer Gaurav GuptaAlso ReadWhy sustainability is in fashion