New York University student Hana Newman has designed a dress to combat pollutants in the air. The “8” dress is a seemingly strange transparent bubble dress that filters the air for the user. It is also an art piece and a statement.

 

 

 

 

Of Newman’s creation, she comments:

“8 challenges inverted quarantine and the response to perceived toxic environments by exposing it's folly and highlighting the next trend in the green movement with an elegant dress.

8 exposes the wearer while closing her off. It glorifies the oxygen tank and is a constant reminder to the user that she is breathing clean air and to the audience that they are not. It is a catalyst for a larger conversation questioning how what we do individually influences the way we collectively solve problems and raises airwareness.”

The message is two-fold. The dress exposes a near hypochondriacal fear of polluted air and germs that is prevalent in today’s society of hand sanitizers everywhere we go. However, it is also a painful reminder that some pollutants are a real threat. The model in the “8” dress is the only one breathing clean air in the biggest city in the world. The transparency of the bubble makes her look exposed when it is everyone surrounding her who is exposed to pollutants in the air.

Clearly to most the dress looks silly, but it’s effective at catching attention, and that is a big part of Newman’s goal. To read more about her creation, check out her website here.