It is a single piece of white material, covering head to toe. Jishad Shamsudeen, the designer of this suit, has been in talks with doctors and health workers of coronavirus. There is a need for a protective suit for health workers in Kerala that looks friendlier, and Jishad, fashion stylist for actor Mohanlal, has only been too happy to do the job.
"I have worked on the design in consultation with Dr Saji of the Kerala Start Up Mission, Mr Sanjay of Kerala Start Up Village, Dr Shibu and Dr Rakesh who are World Health Organisation consultants," Jishad tells TNM.
The idea for a new design rose from the need to make the protective wears more friendly-looking. "During the time of Nipah, we saw our doctors and nurses in protective gear that somehow looked scary. The idea is to present a more fashionable image that will make the suits look friendlier," Jishad says.
He calls the suit ‘superwear’ since it’s being made for ‘superheroes’, a term used for all the health workers in Kerala who are at the forefront fighting the coronavirus.
Jishad (left) and the 'superwear' suit he has designed
“It is quite safe, sealed entirely from the outside. To breathe, there is a specially designed hole on the fabric that will allow air passage but no virus or bacteria,” says Jishad. However, it is going to be used as one-time only suits, just to be on the safe side.
Jishad uses polypropylene SMS spunbound/ meltblown for the suit, which is also 100 % water/liquid protected fabric.
He admits that the suit may not be suitable to be worn in the weather we have now. However, it would be apt for hospitals, where the air-conditioning would be running.
Jishad, who is from Thrissur, has been working as a fashion designer and stylist for several actors in the Malayalam film industry as well as in Bollywood. He is known for designing a denim jacket for Salman Khan in the movie Race 3.