Watch ‘Breathe’.

From Primitive Streak Collection by Helen and Kate Storey

This dress is the latest addition to the fashion/textile collection called Primitive Streak by artist/designer Professor Helen Storey and her sister biologist Professor Kate Storey. Primitive Streak elucidates the first 1000 hours of human life and the White Lung Dress is a new commission for 2011.

The lungs develop from two small buds which branch many times to make the adult structures. When we breathe, oxygen is taken in to the body and carbon dioxide is expelled. This happens in the lungs, which have a big surface area provided by millions of small airways. These determine the amount of oxygen we can take up from the air. The lung dress is made from soft, shiny sponge mimicking lung texture and the shine of surfactant, that helps lung cells expand.

White Lung Dress will be on show in the Forum and will be accompanied by the first public showing of ‘Breathe’ a short film by Adam Mufti commissioned by Primitive Streak collection.

This display has been arranged as part of the Wellcome Trust’s 75th anniversary celebrations.

Visit the Primitive Streak website.

Image: Adam Mufti. Model: Aret Kapentanovic