Euphonious Raincoats
v3. mushroomy
A lightweight impregnated cotton that results in a mushroom-like texture. My personal favourite in terms of movement and the percussive rainfall on the hood; dampening in every sense of the word.
The jarring sonic experience of plastic raincoats was a common complaint amongst my neurodivergent research participants: the squeak as you walk, arms swinging side by side within the stiff fabric, the tap tap tap of rain bouncing of the hood.
During a month long design residency I developed 5 cotton raincoats that employed natural waterproof alternatives to petroleum based fibers. Each raincoat had a different natural coating that composed a different symphony as the wearer moves and the rain descends.
The goal was to craft a sonic experiences that are more in harmony with nature as the body moves through the wet landscape, e.g. the sound of rustling leaves overhead, the soft crunch of damp ground underfoot.
By engaging the sonic and kinaesthetic senses, and vestibular system, I explored how the sound and weight of what we wear (dis)connects us with our environment.
