Solar Jacket and Tech Clothes, by Indarra DTX in Argentina
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires 
on 06. 3.08
(Photo: courtesy of the firm.) Indarra DTX is a small design firm based in Buenos Aires that's experimenting with technologies applied to fabrics and different kinds of materials in modern clothing.
Launched about two months ago at Puro Diseno fair by Julieta Gayoso, the firm has started with a collection that includes a solar jacket (picture above), a vest with anti-stain treatment, bamboo t-shirts for women and lyocell t-shirts for men.
Learn and see more pictures in the extended.
"We're living an era of digital exchange, with technology that allows us to share text, sound and images like never before. Times in which the development of science moves forward very fast, with an impact in textile materials. We live in a fascinating and luminous but depredated planet, which we have to take care of. We work in line with these realities," says the founder of the brand.
In that sense, she has developed a series of garments that incorporate eco-materials, fabric-treatments and applied technology with different purposes.
Solar Jacket
Her solar jacket has a dismountable and semi-flexible photovoltaic panel that generates enough energy to power personal devices. The panel is connected to a li-ion battery that stores the charge, and has outputs to plug in iPods and other MP3 players, PDAs, digital cameras and rechargeable batteries. A stabilizer allows to adjust the output voltage.
According to the designer, the jacket can save up to 100 alkaline batteries a year.
The garment is produced with cotton and natural vegetable silk extracted from wood pulp. It has impermeable finish. Even though its price for Argentines is a little too much, it could work better for foreigners: 1200 pesos (400 USD).
Here's a graphic showing how it's equipped inside: the thin black line from the center to the left pocket shows the cable that connects the solar panel with the power-box. On the right side, there's another pocket for the different output needs.
Graphic showing the jacket's interior.
Tech vest
The vest pictured below has a stain resistance finish that blocks the absorption of liquids, including oil. This finish doesn't interfere with the fabric's ability to 'breathe', and keeps the fabric looking like new for longer. It's also suitable for light rain, and can be reduced to fit in one of its pockets, which makes the vest easy to transport when traveling.
Indarra DTX vest.
Lyocell and bamboo t-shirts
This t-shirt is produced with Lyocell, a a sustainable produced cellulosic fibre from wood. This fibre provides thermic stability (being fresh in summer and warm in winter), a good management of humidity (quickly absorption and elimination) and natural anti-static.
The shirt has a pocket for mobile devices, and stamps that change color with the variation of light, which were applied on water, without solvents.
Lyocell t-shirt.
Finally, Indarra's other developments include bamboo t-shirts for both men and women.
Bamboo is a material we're familiar with, that's been called "the new cotton" and then questioned (check our article: Bamboo clothing, is it truly green?). However, we've gone through some facts when we presented Rodrigo Alonso's t-shirts from bamboo, and although it's arguable, bamboo seems like a greener alternative than cotton.
Bamboo t-shirts.
Although these clothes might seem pricey and not so accessible to everybody, it's really encouraging to see designers in this country and in Latin America experimenting with new materials and considering sustainability into their developments.
Get in touch with the designer to find out more through her website.
Source:
::Indarra DTX (in Spanish)
Related Posts:
::Check out another innovative-materials project in Latin America: the Dry Leaf Eco-Skateboard from Brazil.
::Solar is not too developed in Argentina, but a group of scientists developed a low cost solar roof.
Plus, two design studios came up with solar cookers: X Cruza foldable solar cooker and BCK compact solar heater.
::Although not extended in the region, Bamboo has been explored by designer Rodrigo Alonso: Bamboo t-shirts from Chile.
Other posts from Argentina:
::See what Argentine designers are doing in terms of green fashion and accessories in our coverage of green at Puro Diseno Fair in Buenos Aires (Part I) and Part II
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Right, a photovoltaic panel of that size might do about 2 watts... so I can charge a cell phone by sitting outside (pointed towards the sun of course) in only a day or two. Great! That's definitely worth $400!
Hi Andy, the solar panel is connected to a power box, so you don't have to sit in the sun to charge the phone.
I checked with the designer and she said with four hours of exposure to sun, the panel charges the power box enough to give: power for 144 hours in standby or 150 minutes talk time for a cell phone; or depending on the model of each, 4 to 20 hours of PDA use, 3 to 30 hours for an MP3 player and 4 to 8 hours of GPS.
With poor sun it takes longer to charge the power-box.
I don't think that's too bad. I did say it was pricey, but I don't think that's the point: it's interesting that designers are at least experimenting with this.
Paula,
This would be a good segment for GreenTV. Is there any way to contact Julieta?
Thanks!
Sunrix at GreenTV
So it's a removable solar panel... why the expensive jacket then? I'd rather put $400 towards a $100 jacket, and for $300 I could buy 60 watts of solar power instead of 1-2.
Andy,
Yes, it's a removable panel, the article says so (dismountable). It's ok if you want to criticize the design, but it's just an idea.
The prize I think has to do with the fact that solar panels are VERY expensive in Argentina, here you cannot buy solar energy as easy as you can in the States (I don't think you can buy it at all).
So, again, I think it's encouraging to see someone giving it a chance in this country, even if it's expensive. New designs are usually expensive until the materials to produce them become easier to get. So I'm pretty sure when solar becomes more usual the jacket will be accessible to more people.
Best.