One of our goals is to create a multidisciplinary community that brings together the worlds of Fashion and expression of identity through Science.  In this example, our objective was to create fashion that symbolically represented Vivekanand’s research on space exploration. He wore this outfit to the NASA Human Research conference and also into the general world.  People often ask about it which then becomes an easy way for him to communicate his research and its connection to his identity. 

Vivekanand’s research involves studying how spatial disorientation is different in Earth, Martian, Lunar and 0g analogs.  Each of the analogs were represented by 4 buttons made from rocks that Vivekanand foraged through his travels (from Iceland and Olympic National Park in the US).  We made a double breasted waistcoat from (100% wool) because of its naval history: the exploration of the unknown through ships.  An additional rough draft udder was placed over the double breasted waistcoat and represented how Humanity nurses its child, Technology, and how Technology will lead to the Augmented Human capable of exploring space.  Another aspect of Vivekanand’s research is on human augmentation.   2 rows of 4 nipples on the udder were created to represent the intake nozzles in early spacesuits.  In the mythology of the Milky Way, Hera sprayed milk from her nipples which made the Milky Way Galaxy.  Instead of milk, these udders sprayed wires that were fed to Technology.   Upon the shoulders Vivekanand wore copper wires that turned into a tail made from stripped Yucca leaves from Vivekanand’s Backyard of Biodiversity.  The tail represented the dream that Technology shouldn’t replace Humanity but rather augment Humanity.  Space exploration in collaboration with Technology will bring us back to the primal days of uncertainty, risk, danger, adventure and exploration.  

Sarhone Jones is a fashion designer who is mostly self taught and attended Baystate college where she studied fashion. 

Another one of our goals is to provide educational opportunities for fashion students.  Sarhone, one of Nellie’s students, made an outfit that was shown at the NASA conference as a community engagement project. 

Sarhone’s garment is a street wearable space suit, and she wanted a concept that turned astronaut uniforms into fun and stylish fashion trends. Space suits have changed and evolved over the years and she wanted to capture that. This suit is made of a cotton and polyester blend fabric and it bores the Ashton Graybiel Spatial Orientation Lab patch. The sensory augmentation device can be sewn behind the patch. There is a small opening on the side of the patch where the device could fit perfectly.