Swedish steel fashion at the Academy Awards
Bahar Pars, leading actress in "A Man Called Ove", will step on the Academy Awards red carpet dressed in Swedish steel. The unique dress, designed by Swedish fashion designer Naim Josefi, is decorated with 6 000 steel sequins. She will also wear a 3D-printed steel necklace in the form of two hands, also designed by Josefi.
− I want to surprise, show the unexpected, move creativity forward. Sustainability is also very important to me, and as it is 100 % recyclable, steel is an obvious choice, Josefi says.
The creativity was also the reason for Bahar Pars' choice.
− An established fashion house would have given me a very nice dress, but I want to make a statement, be on the creative forefront. That's why I chose Naim Josefi, Pars says.
The ultra-thin sequin steel is made by Voestalpine Precision Strip in Munkfors, Sweden. The steel is 22 microns thick (0,022 mm), which is a fifth of the thickness of a human hair. The total weight of the sequins is only half a kilogram. Such thin steel is normally used for scalpels, razors, saws and valves in refrigerators and air conditioning units.
The steel dress concept was introduced at the Stockholm Fashion Week in late January, where Josefi presented three elegant steel dresses in blue, black and silver. It builds on a collaboration between Josefi and the Swedish steel industry that started with a 3D-printed steel shoe originally designed for Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga wore the original, plastic shoe in one of her music videos.
In 2013, the Swedish steel industry adopted a vision, Steel shapes a better future. The vision contains three commitments: We lead technical development, We nurture creative individuals, and We create environmental benefits.
− Providing room for creative people like Naim Josefi to thrive is part of our second commitment, says Bo-Erik Pers, president of the Swedish Steel Producers’ Association Jernkontoret.
Gert Nilson, Technical Director, Jernkontoret - the Swedish Steel Producers' Association. Phone: +46 70 253 01 14.
Since its foundation back in 1747, Jernkontoret (The Swedish Steel Producers’ Association) has been owned jointly by the Swedish steel companies. Jernkontoret represents Sweden’s steel industry on issues that relate to trade policy, research and education, standardisation, energy and the environment as well as transportation issues. Jernkontoret also manages the joint Nordic research in the steel industry. In addition, Jernkontoret draws up statistical information relating to the industry and carries on research into the history of mining and metallurgy.
