Old airbags get new lease of life in cutting-edge fashion projects
More than 3 million vehicles go to the wrecking yard each year in Japan, and most of their components will be reused or recycled. But there's one part that rarely gets used again: the airbag. That’s starting to change now that some creative minds are giving the material a second life.
Fashion designer Heron Preston made his name collaborating with the likes of Nike, Gap and Kanye West, but his latest alliance was his most unusual. He worked with Mercedes-Benz to create a fashion line from leftover airbags.
The German automaker handed Preston used airbags from crash tests, and he refashioned them into concept couture that was exhibited recently in Tokyo’s Roppongi district.
The clothing mimics the functionality of the airbag by inflating and deflating.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/1866/