Nonwoven fabric technology intrigued fashion designer Manel Torres, a student at the Royal College of Art, who worked with chemical engineering Professor Paul Luckham from Royal College London to patent spray-on fabric in 2001. The two men formed Fabrican Ltd. in 2003 to market the technology, which began as a statement on making instant fashion and now is being developed for use in household, industrial and health care applications.
A spray gun or aerosol can filled with a liquid suspension applies different types of cross-linked natural and synthetic fibers directly to the body, giving an instant custom fit. The suspension can incorporate scents, colors and other enhancements. As a nonwoven material, spray-on fabric offers possibilities for binding, lining, repairing, layering, covering and molding, but some of the most startling applications may be in health care and hygiene. Spray-on medication patches, skin covering for burn victims or even conductive material for heart monitoring may be part of Fabrican’s future.