Bella Hadid’s spray-on dress: How does it work, and everything you need to know about it

US model Bella Hadid is dressed by spraying foam during the Coperni Spring-Summer 2023 fashion show as part of the Paris Womenswear Fashion Week, in Paris, on September 30, 2022. – Photo: AFP

What a way to get dressed.

Paris Fashion Week is typically meant to showcase the styles that will be dominating the streets in coming months. But during a show for luxury label Coperni on Friday, supermodel Bella Hadid had a dress spray-painted onto her before walking the runway.

The “dress,” made of “sprayable fabric,” used 3D technology that might seem risky without a runway in sight.

Here’s a breakdown of the technologically savvy fashion.

How does it work?

Hadid’s dress was created by a London-based company, Fabrican Ltd., which was founded in 2003 by Dr. Manel Torres.

Torres came up with the product to “magically fit the body like a second skin yet have the appearance of clothing.” The company produces the “sprayable fabric from an aerosol can,” according to its website.

On Friday, Torres along with an assistant applied the innovative garment to 25-year-old Hadid for the French label. The material was sprayed onto Hadid’s body over the course of more than eight minutes with its hem altered once it dried.

What is the material made of?

Coperni in a statement to WWD said the clothes are made of “short fibers bound together with polymers and bio polymers, and greener solvents that deliver the fabric in liquid form, then evaporate when the spray reaches a surface.”

The texture can be modified depending on the fibers, binder and means of applying the spray.

Why does this seem familiar?

“Saturday Night Live” offered its take on the technology all the way back in 1998, with “Shirt in a Can,” featuring Tim Meadows.

The skit shows Meadows in a pinch after getting food stains on his clothes ahead of a job interview.

“Hey, it’s burning my skin!” he shouts as his torso is painted to resemble a shirt. Luckily for Hadid, she didn’t encounter similar issues on the runway Friday.

Can anyone get this? Or just the stars?

There doesn’t appear to be a way for the general public to easily access the spray — though there is a contact form available on the company’s website.

How long does it last?

The material “can be washed, re-worn and even integrated with diagnostic devices that can monitor the health of the wearer,” Coperni said.

While it was initially meant for fashion, Fabrican says its tech boasts “potentially limitless applications.” That so far includes CBD pain relief patches, protective wear like face rapidly manufactured masks, the ability to make hygienic wipes or instant sponges, and more.

So while the site doesn’t detail how long the spray lasts for fashion, it stands to reason that different fabrics might have different timelines for wear and tear, as it were. – By Jami Ganz/ New York Daily News/Tribune News Service