Spanish designer Dr Manel Torres worked ten years on his invention to come out with Fabrican, fabric in an aerosol can, a liquid mixture made of cotton fibres which can be sprayed on a human body to make T-shirts, dresses, trousers to swimwear and hats, reports The Daily Mail, London.
Stage one: This might tickle a bit... Dr Torres spray paints the model's shoulder and torso. Both wear goggles to protect their eyes
In a video demonstrating how it works, he sprays a blue and white T-shirt on to a model in just under 15 minutes.
Drying as soon as it hits his skin, the garment can be taken off, washed and re-worn.
Dr Torres teamed up with Paul Luckham, Professor of Particle Technology at Imperial College London, to create Fabrican, which consists of cotton fibres, polymers (the plastics which hold them together) and solvents which keep it in liquid form.
Stage two: Thank goodness I didn't ask for a suit... The fabric, drying fast, is already showing a couple of creases on the model's torso
Stage three: Plain white's so yesterday... Dr Torres decides to add a fetching splatter of blue to brighten things up a little
When you get bored with your creation it can be dissolved and the material used again to make something new or repair old designs.
Dr Torres said the idea was to be able to create clothes instantly and cheaply, all of which would be a perfect fit.
'I really wanted to make a futuristic, seamless, quick and comfortable material,' he said.
'To show science and technology can help fashion designers, I ended up returning to the principles of the earliest textiles such as felt, which were also produced by taking fibres and finding a way of binding them together without having to weave or stitch.'
Stage 4: A touch to the neckline shows how the fabric dies away from the body
Stage five: The shirt off my back... The garment can be taken off, washed and re-worn
Fabrican is still a couple of years from hitting the shelves.
Dr Torres is working on ways to create more forgiving shapes as not everyone likes their clothes clinging to every curve. He is also trying to minimise the distinct whiff of solvent about the garments.
And although some spray-on designs will be on show at London Fashion Week, the instant fabric could end up being used for everything from bandages to furniture upholstery.
