# Life-Saving Skirts Evacuation Skirt Inflates into a Kayak By Rose Nazarali | Published 2009-08-18 | Fashion Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/evacuation-skirt References: [bookofjoe](http://www.bookofjoe.com/2009/08/evacuation-skirt-by-yael-mer.html) & [raw-edges](http://www.raw-edges.com/) The Evacuation Skirt was inspired by the Katrina storms in New Orleans and serves and a [regular flowy skirt](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/woven-cargo-midi), but [inflates into a kayak](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/alpacka-raft) to become a life saver in extreme weather conditions. When [inflated, the Evacuation Skirt](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nike-thermafit-air-milano-jacket) can hold a full-grown adult woman and allows users to float atop floods and lakes when needed, becoming a suit life saver in emergency situations. Designer Yael Mer, says he “wanted to raise the question of emergency and beauty and to explore whether they can meet each other.” ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.1/10 - Popularity: 54% | Activity: 62% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Fashion](https://www.trendhunter.com/fashion) > [Hip Fashion](https://www.trendhunter.com/hipfashion) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Emergency Fashion:** The trend of incorporating emergency functionality into fashion items presents disruptive innovation opportunities for designers to create stylish yet life-saving products. - **Inflatable Technology:** The trend of using inflatable technology in everyday objects, such as skirts that transform into kayaks, opens up opportunities for disruptive innovation in various industries. - **Multi-functional Design:** The trend of multi-functional design, like the Evacuation Skirt that serves as both a regular skirt and a life-saving kayak, offers opportunities for companies to create versatile and practical products. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Fashion:** The fashion industry can explore disruptive innovation by incorporating emergency functionality into clothing, like inflatable skirts that transform into life-saving devices. - **Outdoor Recreation:** The outdoor recreation industry can take advantage of inflatable technology to create innovative products, such as inflatable kayaks disguised as regular clothing items, that provide both convenience and safety. - **Emergency Preparedness:** The emergency preparedness industry can benefit from the trend of multi-functional design by developing versatile and efficient equipment, such as skirts that can be easily transformed into life-saving devices like kayaks. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Lifesaving Swimming Vests](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/swimming-vest.md) - [Flatpack Oceanic Lifeboats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fold-and-rescue-lifeboat.md) - [Plastic Bottle Lifejackets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bot-lifejacket.md) - [Under-Arm Rescue Floatation Devices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ua80-evolution-vest.md) - [Inflatable Rescue Stretchers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/inflatable-rescue-stretcher.md) - [Flood-Proof Raft-Inspired Sofas](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bliss-sofa.md) - [Self-Inflating Kids Swimwear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/smart-swimwear.md) - [Speedy Stability Kayak Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/swell-watercraft-scupper-16-kayak.md) - [Rugged Inflatable Coolers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/airskirts-cooler.md)