Can Fashion Save Us From Extreme Heat?

If Paris (and the rest of Europe) is burning under extreme heat, it is not an exception. This will not be the hottest summer of our lives — it is the hottest summer of our lives so far. Because yes, the climate crisis is real, and what we can do is equip ourselves to survive. The collaboration between Rick Owens and adidas could not have arrived at a more timely moment: the designer brought a series of garments featuring the Climacool System technology to the runway.

The partnership is the fashion reinterpretation of garments and accessories developed by the German brand for Formula 1 athletes and the ones competing in this year’s World Championships, and consists of two components: a cooling vest and an insulating jacket. The ice vest contains a special gel that, once the vest is worn, slowly thaws, reducing internal body temperature by up to half a degree and lowering skin temperature by 13 degrees. The jacket, worn over it, helps retain the cool air generated by the vest and, through built-in fans, creates a sort of wearable air-conditioning system.

Beyond the runway exaggeration, the fact that these technologies have entered fashion in response to a specific need — the extreme heat inside racing car cockpits and the harsh temperatures football players must face during these months of international competitions — makes it clear that the Owens and adidas collaboration is closer to reality than one might think. It is no coincidence that the fan system is inspired by something that has already been a reality in Japan for years: Kūchōfuku, jackets developed for people who work outdoors during the summer.

The future will become increasingly hotter, and humans will have to find solutions to cope with it. Fashion will have to take this into account, and this collaboration suggests that it has already begun to do so.