The Red Bulletin Oct/Nov 2020 (US)

T H E D E P A R T U R E
Micrashell
SAFETY DANCE
As nightclubs and festivals look forward to reopening, this
personal protective suit could be the future of rave fashion.
more complex and desirable
manner.” To satisfy this desire,
Risueño’s studio, Production
Club, has developed a personal
protective suit for ravers.
The Micrashell may make
its wearer look like an extra
from The Martian, but there’s
some serious technology built
in. “We’ve prioritized the safety
element, which relies on a
filtration system similar to that
found in PAPR [powered airprocessing
respirator] suits,”
says Risueño. “Then we added
functional and design features
that make the suit compelling.”
These include an internal
drinks and vape supply, a
personal sound system and the
requisite glowing LEDs: “The
drinking-canister system is a
solution to long waiting lines
and eliminates the possibility
of getting roofied. The
individualized speaker system
helps avoid ear fatigue.”
The Micrashell is currently
in the prototype phase, being
tested by Risueño himself. “I’m
writing this from the inside of
a very loud, safe and ugly
helmet,” he says. The company
has even considered the suit’s
possibilities off the dance floor.
“Drinking, going to the
restroom and potentially
having sex are all things we
could not neglect,” he adds.
“That’s why the suit only covers
your torso upwards.”
Nights spent dancing
in crowded rooms,
sharing drinks and
throwing arms around other
people are all pleasures that
are fast becoming distant
memories for party lovers.
But one collective of club
music fans have made it their
goal to bring back those
moments as soon as possible.
“Human-to-human
interaction gives you a sense
of purpose that cannot be
substituted virtually just yet,”
says L.A.-based creative
director Miguel Risueño.
“It conveys emotions in a
PRODUCTION CLUB LOU BOYD
18 THE RED BULLETIN