Arai chooses this fabric, a highly flame-resistant cloth that is used to make filters for coal boilers as well as electrical insulation. a highly flame-resistant cloth that is used to make filters for coal boilers as well as electrical insulation, because, like polyester, it can be molded and shaped. When combined with wool, the textile achieves a highly-textured surface akin to crocodile skin. Selection of the material, however, is only half of the story as Arai subjects the cloth to a “melt-off” technique, which refers to the removal of the metal in a fabric leaving behind a transparent filmy cloth. But he takes this a step further: before the “melt-off” wraps certain areas—the ancient art of tie-dying or shibori in Japan—in order to retain some metallic areas.
