Outfits for the first commercial space flight crew
Y-3, the fashion line from designer Yohji Yamamoto and Adidas, is known for producing futuristic clothes. The shoes, with their big swooping soles, look like they should be standard issue on an interplanetary freighter. The clothes could be pulled out of Blade Runner. So, when Y-3 made the announcement that it's partnering with Virgin Galactic (the company working to develop commercial spaceflights) a crazy collaboration kind of actually makes total sense.
The team is designing "plans for a space-apparel system for Virgin Galactic's pilots, future astronauts and the operations team in Spaceport America."
True to Yamamoto's style, the clothing line features a dark theme all around, which will make the Virgin Galactic crew look like they're straight out of a Tron film. Y-3 says it's currently working on pilot flight-suits and boots, and every item is intended to provide a comfortable and tight fit while being worn. The flight-suit, for example, was designed to support a pilot's natural position, while the footwear is made from leather and shock absorption materials, to mention a few details.
As part of the announcement, Y-3 and Virgin Galactic also revealed a limited edition jacket for passengers of the first Virgin Galactic spaceflights. The news release details the specifics of the clothing:
"The Y-3 design team has paired the adidas brand's technical know-how and Y-3's directional approach to style with the use of advanced fabrics, special techniques and bespoke specifications to ensure fit, comfort and performance. This flight-suit is being designed to fully support a pilot's natural seating position as identified through a series of tests and trials with the Virgin Galactic pilot corps. Material engineering is key, as the flight-suit has been constructed from Nomex Meta Aramid materials through a 3D engineered pattern.The specially developed flight boot contains leather and Nomex materials and features advanced structural details for tailored functionally, including an outsole with TRAXION™ outsole lugs for ultimate grip and an adiPRENE® heel insert for comfort and shock absorption. These prototypes have reached a stage of maturity that will enable pilots to start trialing them in-flight during Virgin Galactic's flight test program, so that their feedback on such features and functionality can be integrated into a fully resolved and test-proven design".