Born out of a partnership between a designer with a passion for the outdoors and a research team at the University of Innsbruck in Austria, polychromeLAB is a groundbreaking new material designed to increase the wearer's body heat and, when reversed, decrease it. Like most inventions, the road to polychromeLAB started with a problem. High in the Alps, weather can change drastically in minutes, and the demands of the mountains require light packing. "It arose out of a real need," says designer Michele Stinco. "The weather and prevailing temperatures are unpredictable. Snowfall and low temperatures are just as much a part of alpine reality as intensive solar radiation in the winter."
On the darker matte side, the jacket's outer material is highly conductive to UV radiation, while the opposite side is highly reflective. When worn to increase body temperature, heat is conducted via UV rays while body heat is reflected back to the wearer by the opposite layer acting as an insulator. Research from the company's facility in Innsbruck shows that on average, internal temperatures are increased or decreased by an average of five degrees Celsius. Additionally, the material is both fully waterproof and breathable, helping dissipate sweat while keeping you dry in flash rain and snow showers.
Currently available online in limited quantities, men's and women's polychromeLAB jackets start at €700.
Images courtesy of polychromeLAB