Full Metal Puffer

Copper is one of the most advanced materials in our solar system. After starting life as a primordial isotope thrown out of supernovas billions of years ago, it became central to the rise of civilisation – creating tools and sterilising water, before enabling modern day communication, transport, and electrical power. Now, as we look for materials that offer us resistance to disease on Earth and up in space, copper is set to be at the centre of innovation again.

Disease resistant clothing will become a requirement in the future, which is why we’re starting to work with copper now. It’s biostatic, so bacteria and other life forms can’t grow on it. It also has exceptional antimicrobial properties which means bacteria and viruses die when they make contact with it. The copper releases electrically charged ions which first make it difficult for a microbe to breathe, before punching holes in its outer membrane, moving in and completely wiping out its DNA, preventing it from developing any future resistance.

There’s a reason this is the first puffer to be built mostly from metal – and that’s because metal is designed to be strong, not malleable. But copper is different. Its atoms are arranged in something called a ‘face-centred cubic crystal structure,’ which makes it extremely strong but also malleable at the same time. And this is what allows us to create a 3 layered jacket that combines a soft inner layer, a high-performance waterproof membrane that opens and closes in the heat, and an outer layer built from lacquered copper yarn. 

Billions of years ago, the copper in every Full Metal Puffer was formed in the cores of massive stars alongside other heavy elements like iron and magnesium in a process known as stellar nucleosynthesis. But as these stars expanded into supergiants, they ran out of hydrogen, started dying, collapsed in colossal explosions known as supernovas, and sprayed the universe with interstellar clouds that went on to form planets like Earth. And that’s why you’ll find copper in Earth’s crust today.

Our puffer starts life as rods of electrolytic industrial copper. These rods are passed through specialised machinery over and over again to create thinner and thinner copper strands. It’s a bit like turning pasta into spaghetti, only in this instance the diameter of the new strands is controlled by lasers for precision. And every time they pass through the machines they’re also stretched a little longer.

Once the copper strands are the right diameter, they’re heated up to make them easier to work with. We then apply a series of very thin coats of lacquer to the yarn to protect the copper from corrosion. Finally the material enters a 6 day curing process in which the yarn is woven on rapier weaving looms before being scoured, heat-set and dried.

The copper strands are lacquered to prevent corrosion. And that lacquer is also how we control colour. Leave it clear and the raw copper shines through. Dye it black or blue, and the entire jacket changes tone. Because the copper strands only run in one direction, we pair them with polyester weft yarns in complementary colours to amplify the effect.

The c_change® membrane mimics natural structures like flowers and pinecones, opening and closing in response to changes in temperature, humidity and sweat. It’s designed to keep you at a consistent temperature by combining really high breathability with heat retention. While it can open up like a series of microscopic vents to let heat escape, in the cold it closes itself like a protective barrier to stop heat leaving. So as soon as the temperature drops, or you stop moving, the membrane contracts to insulate you and retain heat close to the body.

The down inside the Full Metal Puffer is provided by Re:Down®, the world’s leading recycled-down specialist. They collect old duvets, jackets and pillows from across Europe, then recover and clean the down using thermal water and zero chemicals. Roughly 90% of the original down is saved, and every batch is sterilised, sorted and tested to perform like new. It’s traceable, waste-free, and saves around 100 litres of water per kilo compared to virgin down. Anything that can’t be reused gets turned into fertiliser or insulation. Nothing goes to landfill.

The Full Metal Puffer comes with two 2-in-1 bellows pockets on the front and an internal chest pocket. The bellows pockets have a zipped side entry for fast access and an envelope-style top flap secured with invisible snaps for extra weather protection. Both are large enough to store gloves or tools. Every pocket is lined on both sides with ultrasoft moleskin for comfort in freezing temperatures.

The fit of a padded peaked hood is fully adjustable with a thick elasticated drawcord. And the jacket closes with a heavy-duty two-way metal zip, protected by a self-fabric storm flap that fastens with five invisible metal snaps. The hem is engineered with elasticated bungee adjusters with 2 cord stoppers. And the cuffs are internally reinforced with increased insulation at edge.

Copper created the tools from which the earliest civilisations were built. It was the first metal to be cast in a mould 6,000 years ago, and the first to be alloyed to make bronze. It provided humans increasingly efficient ways to kill each other – from axes and swords to bullets. But it also gave us increasingly efficient ways to spread information – from the Gutenberg printing press, telegraph and telephone, to circuit boards, computer chips, broadband and telecommunications cables. The first clock, watch, telescope, microscope and battery all relied on copper. And if you’re reading this on your phone, 12% of that is copper too.

Copper is one of the few materials that can be recycled infinitely without losing any of its chemical properties. Recycled copper, or ‘secondary copper,’ is completely indistinguishable from primary copper, and it can be recycled from its raw state as well as from manufactured products. Copper recycling can be traced back over 2,000 years to when the Romans were recasting weapons and armour using scrap metal from foundries.