PREVIEW

A fashion designer has created clothing that can change colour.

Kim Mesches' latest collection, titled Collection 5, features a series of colour-changing tops and dresses made using heat-activated technology.

These clothes use thermochromic materials – materials which change colour with the temperature – including dyes and pigments, mixed with a hardened resin instead of traditional fabric.

The resin-based clothing changes colour from blue to orange, purple to lavender, moss to jade green, and more.

By using resin in place of cotton, linen, or silk, the Collection 5 pieces resemble sculptural artworks; they can stand on their own without the wearer. Some designs include honeycomb-like patterns.

According to University of New South Wales scholar Jane McCann, thermochromic materials are most often created using one of two methods: liquid crystals and leuco dyes.

Liquid crystalline material changes colour between 24 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius, through electrical currents or magnetic interference.

Leuco dyes can switch between a colourless form and a coloured form based on heat, light, or pH.

Kim’s thermochromic clothing range adds to a growing trend of colour-changing fashion.

Last month, Vollebak released its colour-shifting jacket which glows orange by day and green by night.