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Hindustan Times

‘Sky in a bag': How NASA's material from outer space meant to catch comet dust found its way into fashion

Greek artist Ioannis Michaloudis has brilliantly fused science and fashion by transforming a NASA-invented material into a striking fashion statement. Originally designed to collect dust from a speeding comet, this space-age substance has found new life in glowing accessories. Michaloudis' visionary work offers a fresh perspective on how art and science can coexist. (Also read: 'Anything goes': Yoshitomo Nara on his creative process as London exhibition opens ) Ioannis Michaloudis' journey into merging space science with fashion began with a spark of curiosity. After learning about Stardust, a mission to collect particles from a comet, he reached out to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. There, engineer Steve Jones introduced him to aerogel, an ethereal, lightweight material once used in space missions. A post shared by Michalou(di)s Ioannis (@ Fascinated, he set up his own studio with a reactor ten times larger than the one he had previously worked with. While refining his methods in India, Ioannis stumbled upon something extraordinary. Intending to destroy a sculpture, he dipped a large piece of aerogel into molten brass but instead of disintegration, he witnessed an unexpected phenomenon: the sky lit up with flames, yet the delicate sculpture endured. This moment became a defining revelation, cementing his belief in the poetic potential of science-meets-art. Everything shifted in 2024 when French fashion label Coperni unveiled the "AirSwipe" bag, crafted from aerogel and co-designed with Ioannis Michaloudis. Ethereal, translucent, and softly glowing, it looked as if a piece of sky had been captured in a handbag. Since then, Michaloudis has been flooded with requests for aerogel creations, glasses, chairs, museum sculptures, and even interior installations. Reflecting on this journey, he credits it all to NASA's Stardust mission. "Without it, none of this would exist," he says. "I am who I am today because of that little piece of sky I once held in my hands."