Fashionomics 2004 Entrants

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Name of Entry: "The Macrophage"

Designer: Jessica Koach

"The Macrophage" costume was inspired by my current work on macrophages infected with Mycobacterium bovis. My conference poster is based on this work.

My costume is made from a "fashionable" yet functional calm blue, polypropylene overall, with Petri dishes representing the cell nucleus and granules. I am "infected" by the white polystyrene rods which are TB mycobacteria. My micro spike/adhesion molecules are used to recognise other cells and molecules and are made from plastic tubing and pipette tips. The infected macrophage also secretes IL-12 cytokine and nitric oxide. Watch out, I may engulf/phagocytose you!

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Name of Entry: "Far Red Meets Ultra Green"

Designer: Sheralee Cleland and Ruth Baldwin, AgResearch Grasslands

Tired of traipsing through inclement weather to sample your environmental plots? This outfit recombines elements of "down on the farm" with "up at the lab" and "on the catwalks of Paris" and attempts to shed new light on conducting a quadrant search!

At the top, brain signal activated infrared tubes irradiating a lush bodice of (transgenic?) ryegrass. At the bottom, a stiff skirt providing warmth for the wearer (plus plenty of bonus storage space) girded by characteristic New Zealand number 8 wire fencing and finished with an elegant textured silk wrap.

Bring glamour and glitz back to your scientific bits with "far red meets ultra green".

Of course, this creation would not have been possible without the help of the following people: Lee Sutherland who grew the grass fabric and generously donated it to us for tonight’s use. Jiang Wu for transport of the grass all the way from Lincoln. Andy West for authorising the use of it and Royce Campbell for

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Name of Entry: "Coco Meets Crick!"

Designer: Anne Harper, AgResearch Invermay

With the help of colleagues Shirley Martin and Ninz Zuber, Ann e Harper is modelling her creation entitled "Coco Meets Crick." This nifty little ensemble has been skillfully woven from mira cloth with autoclave tape edging and is teamed with a coomassie stained muslin blouse.

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Name of Entry: "Miss Genetic Diversity"

Designer: Miva, Rong Mei and Judith, HortResearch

Inspired by the diverse bacteria, fungi, insects, plants and animals that are worked on at Hort Research.

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Name of Entry: "The Green Fluorescent Hemp Jacket"

Designer: John McCallum, Esteemed secretary of QMB Board

Proof of concept item from a top-secret collaboration between the hemp products company of an MP (who we can’t name) and a CRI (who we can’t name).

Hand-woven from organically grown Coromandel hemp developed by genetic modification using only cannabis sativa, DNA sequences and biodynamic Agrobacterium.

Comfortable wear for long nights in the Beehive or dance parities and, in case of emergencies, a mellow smoke.

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Name of Entry: "The Lords of the Rotors"

Designer: Sean Paterson and Steve Wise, Beckman

The return of the king, Beckman centrifuges, banishing evil and inferior centrifuges from middle earth. Led by a gandalf-like green wizard (who dressed in his mother’s clothes from an early age) and assisted by an overweight Australian hobbit , Steve Wise (whose pubic hair extends to his feet) shall continue the true quest to free middle earth.

One rotor to spin them all, and in the darkness, pellet them.

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Name of Entry: "The AgResearch Angel"

Designer: Joanne Dobson & Brigid Brophy, AgResearch Ruakura

Here is Marty aka the AgResearch Angel. To showcase the plethora of science undertaken by AgResearch, his garment has been drawn from a number of the different fields AgResearch is active in. Marty is modelling gumboots representative of the abattoir, gloves recycled from the Reproductive group (essential for trans rectal palpitations) but the majority of the materials used in the garment have been of previous use in the molecular biology lab. In the interests of the environment and looking to the triple bottom line (which is a priority for AgResearch) they have tried to fashion the outfit using items which, in normal circumstances, would have ended up in the skip-we like to refer to them as "pre-loved" materials. Hence we see the bubble wrap tutu and boob tube ensemble; the belt of chemical bottle lids with matching earrings and of course the necklace featuring an aged Petri dish. Completing the outfit is the obligatory halo. Indeed what angel would be seen without it and as you probably can appreciate, in honour of the new dates for the conference, they have incorporated a Christmas theme using the traditional Christchurch colours, red and green.

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Name of Entry: "Gene-A Warrior Princess"

Designers: Waikato University Molecular Genetics Lab Crew (Michelle, Gina, Shona & Catherine)

"Gene-A Warrior Princess" wears a breastplate of pipette tip tray armour, with a sturdy microsatellite DNA inspired skirt. Arm bands and necklaces made from tips and tubes add to her molecular profile, which is completed with a transfer pipette hairpiece. She carries a knife and bow and arrow, always alert to any contaminating substances which she may encounter.

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Name of Entry: "Dry Ice Queen"

Designer: Waikato University Molecular Genetics Lab Crew (Michelle, Gina, Shona & Catherine)

Our ice queen is packaged neatly into a white bodice and bubble wrap skirt which flares out elegantly at the bottom with polystyrene foam. She hears music wherever she goes, with the jingling belt made from lids. The ensemble is completed with a convenient chilly bin handbag, and topped of with a crown of enzyme canisters.

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Photo credits: Martin Kennedy, Stacey Nelson, Milan Gagic, and Paula Jones

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