Special “Anti-Paparazzi Clothing” Ruins Photos by Excessively Reflecting Light

At first glance, these clothes looks like your average suit, hat, scarf, and hoodie. Once a camera flash hits them, though, their secret weapon is revealed. The garments ruin flash photographs by blowing out the pictures with excessive reflective light. DJ Chris Holmes designed the apparel as “anti-paparazzi clothing,” and he calls the line Flashback.

So, how does this technology work? Pieces in the Flashback collection look like typical gray-colored clothing in normal circumstances, but the fabric is actually coated with “gazillions of glass nanospheres.” They're energized by camera flashes and bounce light back, causing photos to look underexposed. Holmes first got the idea for this line while on tour with Sir Paul McCartney. He noticed that pictures from his performances were getting ruined because of this reflection. While frustrating, Holmes realized that this could be something helpful, and Flashback was born.

The initial concept generated a lot of buzz, and so Holmes launched a crowdfunding campaign through the online clothing company BetaBrand. They'll produce his pieces en masse, and you can now pre-order the Photobomber Hoodie, Silver-Screen Scarf, Illuminati Suit Jacket, Illuminati Suit Pants, and Halo Hat to ship in September.


BetaBrand Crowdfunding page
via [PetaPixel]

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met and Manager of My Modern Met Store. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art where she earned her BFA in Illustration and MFA in Illustration Practice. Sara is also an embroidery illustrator and writer living in Seattle, Washington. She runs Bear&Bean, a studio where she stitches pet portraits and other beloved creatures. She chronicles the creativity of others through her website Brown Paper Bag and newsletter, Orts. Her latest book is Threads of Treasure: How to Make, Mend, and Find Meaning Through Thread, published in 2014. Sara’s work has been recognized in Be Creative With Workbox, Embroidery Magazine, American Illustration, on Iron and Wine’s album Beast Epic, among others. When she’s not stitching or writing, Sara enjoys planning things that bring together the craft community. She is the co-founder of Camp Craftaway, a day camp for crafty adults with hands-on workshops in the Seattle area.
Become a
My Modern Met Member
As a member, you'll join us in our effort to support the arts.
Become a Member
Explore member benefits