You (Actually) Won’t Guess What the Design Behind This Scarf Means
You’re probably familiar with the expression “wearing your heart on your sleeve.” But what about wearing your DNA around your neck? That’s no idiom; it’s the latest offering from London-based DNA profiler + retailer Dot One. You heard that right! The company can literally transform your unique genetic material into a gorgeous scarf you’ll want to keep in your wardrobe forever. We’ve talked about customizable clothing before, but this scarf takes it to a whole new level!
How exactly do you get from a double helix to a trendsetting wrap-around? Using Dot One’s DNA kit, you can collect your own DNA sample through a cheek swab and then ship it straight to a lab that will analyze the sample to run a DNA profile on you. Genetic differences occur at specific locations on chromosomes, namely on short DNA sequences known as Short Tandem Repeats (STRs). The variation in the results can be used to distinguish you from everyone else on earth, and can even indicate your relationships to family members by matching data sets.
Of course, gathering all of this genetic data is remarkable, but unless you’re looking through a microscope, how do you see it or make sense of it? This is where Dot One dials up the fun. The company uses a sophisticated algorithm to translate your genetic data into a textile or print of your DNA profile. The result is colorful hand-woven scarf or artwork in a cubical design that is 100 percent unique to you. Talk about tailor-made fashion!
You might be wondering how unique your DNA could be compared to the other eight billion people on the planet. After all, the Human Genome Project told us that all human beings share 99.9 percent of their DNA with their fellow man. While this is true, it leaves behind 0.1 percent of the genetic code, which is the biological component that makes you, well, you. Designer Iona Inglesby not only named her company Dot One after this critical 0.1 percent, but made it the company’s mission to aid in visualizing human genome data in an accessible way to show you just how unique you really are.
A DNA scarf will run you around £310.00 ($440), while a print goes for £139.00 ($197) on Dot One’s e-commerce site. One thing’s for sure: Fashion may come and go, but your DNA is for life.
What crazy fashion would you turn your DNA into if you could? Tweet us @BritandCo!
(h/t Wired; photos via Dot One)
