Two English universities have teamed together to create the world’s first pair of air-purifying jeans.
Members of the public donated 30 pairs of pants to help create an environmentally friendly pair of jeans that helps to break down pollutants in the atmosphere and purify the air.
Researchers from Sheffield University and the London College of Fashion teamed together to create the ‘Field of Jeans’ – an art expo showcasing the possibilities that fashion and science can have together.
The ‘Catalytic Clothing’ venture hopes to inspire other fashion designers and scientists to think outside the box.
Photocatalysts are sewn into the jeans, which use light to speed up the breakdown of pollutants, much like a normal catalyst. The jeans use nanotechnology to break down pollutants in the atmosphere.
Sheffield University scientist Professor Tony Ryan said, “There are more pairs of jeans than people on the earth. We are developing something using both of them to improve the urban environment.”
The jeans are being displayed in an exhibition being held at Sheffield’s Peace Gardens.
Professor Helen Storey, a designer and artist at LCF added, “Catalytic Clothing is the most challenging, globally relevant project I have ever attempted. Behind almost all-human advancement lies a science. Through my work, I try to share and involve the public with these possibilities.”
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