Mercedes-Benz Turns Airbags Into Clothing With A Fashion Designer

Airbags have been used in cars for decades to help prevent injuries and save lives in the event of an accident. We all know how airbags work when they sense a collision; an inflator blows them up and helps cushion the driver when they impact hard surfaces inside the vehicle. Mercedes-Benz has announced that it's collaborating with a clothing designer named Heron Preston on a project that is using airbags to make clothing.

The clothing line is meant to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Mercedes-Benz integrating airbags into its cars, starting with the S class in 1981. Both the designer and the automaker have similar goals when it comes to sustainability. The designer built the clothes so they can be worn in an inflated or deflated state.

That sounds very weird as we don't think anyone has ever looked at an airbag and thought it was attractive. The images showing puffy jackets, in particular, are quite strange. It almost looks like a deflated version of the old-school Michelin man. All the clothing is very bulky and loose-fitting. The collection includes designs for men and women, including puffy jackets, loose cargo pants, and classic bomber jackets.

Some of the women's items are particularly strange, as you can see in the images in the gallery below. The gigantic puffy hat and long flowing cape are particularly strange to our eyes. The range of clothing retains up to 98 percent of the actual airbags used in Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Preston wanted to keep as much of the airbag as possible and states all of the integrity is there.

Anyone interested in owning the clothing has a chance to win it at a giveaway at a streetwear reseller called GOAT starting on September 10. We could see some people trying to wear the jackets, but that giant puffy hood and cloak seems a bit out there.