The upcoming Seoul Fashion Week for spring-summer 2025 promises a groundbreaking display: stretchable panels integrated into fashion garments, a concept unseen since the event’s inception in 2000. Lee Chung-chung, renowned for his LIE brand, will showcase these panels in a finale at Dongdaemun Design Plaza on September 3. These panels, capable of being stretched, folded, and crumpled like paper, epitomize Lee’s theme of “Neo-Craftsmanship” for this year’s collection.
“This is a new way to express oneself,” Lee stated, emphasizing how these stretchable panels redefine craftsmanship in fashion.
The project is led by LG Display, aligning with government initiatives to advance core technologies with broad applications. According to a knowledgeable source within panel development, integrating these panels into everyday life through fashion is LG’s initial focus, aiming for practicality and public familiarity.
The panels boast being the world’s first high-resolution displays at 100 pixels per inch, capable of stretching over 20 percent. Initially prototyped in November 2022 after two and a half years of development, the 12-inch panel set for the September fashion show promises increased reliability and performance enhancements since its first unveiling.
“Extensive testing, exceeding 10,000 trials, ensured the panel’s durability and flexibility,” the source revealed, underscoring the panel’s thinness (less than 0.5 millimeters) and composition from a silicone-based polymer known as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), commonly used in contact lenses.
While details of specific tests remain confidential, LG Display anticipates commercialization by 2029 or 2030, contingent upon overcoming industry challenges and garnering positive feedback from Seoul Fashion Week. Post-event, LG Display plans to convene with stakeholders to strategize further advancements, despite current uncertainty clouding business confidence.
“At present, plans for advancement are indeterminate,” the source disclosed, reflecting ongoing deliberations within the company.
The November meeting will serve as a pivotal juncture to gauge project reception and steer future directions for this pioneering technology.
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