Fabrican or Canned Clothes: You Can’t Even Tell the Difference

Earlier this month, a new product came to media attention because it promised and boasted of the ability to revolutionize the fashion industry. Fabrican or “clothes in a can” is everything it says it is – and even more, one reviewer says.

Hearing of Dr. Manel Torres’ invention and especially of how he hoped he would change forever the way we shop, dress and think of fashion, Laura Stott of the Daily Mail decided to give Fabrican a try.

Dressed in nothing but a stick-on bra, Stott had herself sprayed with the spray that turns into fabric the instant it hits the skin.

She did not find the pattern or combination of colors that brilliant, but she immediately realized that you can hardly tell the difference between the canned fabric and a regular tee.

Moreover, Fabrican comes with a series of advantages that you never get with regular clothing items, in that it’s customized (literally, since it’s sprayed on you), it’s seamless (because who needs seams when it’s not made the traditional way) and it’s reusable.

After wearing the item made with Fabrican, you can simply peel it off, wash it just like you would a regular clothing piece and then re-wear it. If you become bored with it, you can just have it dissolved, thus protect the environment.

“As the liquid fabric hits my skin, my first thought is that it’s really cold – it feels like someone is running ice cubes over my skin. Luckily, I soon start to acclimatize and, aside from the lack of temperature control, the sensation is very similar to having a spray tan,” Stott says.

It took 15 minutes for her to have a multi-layered t-shirt sprayed on, which is less than the amount some women need to think of what to wear before going out.

The fabric is elastic and, Stott learned after going out about town in her new tee, very durable since she carried an oversized bag on her shoulder and the tee showed no trace of strain.

Because of this, Dr. Torres has big plans for Fabrican, from bringing it to high end fashion stores to making it available for home use.

“He hopes it will change how we all think about buying and wearing clothes. As well as designing outfits at home, he envisions spray booths in High Street stores where we can stop by for a new, unique outfit before hitting the town,” Stott writes.

“The eco-credentials are sound, too. The spray fabric outfits can be taken off, washed, and reworn like any other. And, if you get bored with your creation, it can be dissolved and the material used again to make something new,” the same review writes.

Of course, Dr. Torres and Fabrican still have a long way to go until they get there. However, when the fabric in a can is out, it will probably cost about £10 a can.

Seeing how it will also be available in different colors and textures, making an outfit this way could actually end up costing more than a regular one – not to mention you’ll also need someone skilled enough to help you apply it.

Stott too concludes that, while this may sound like a wonderful idea, there are many factors which could turn it into a passing trend and no more. Time will most likely tell.

For Stott’s experience with Fabrican, the product that makes clothes from a can, please refer here.