Now this is clever stuff.

Catalytic Clothing is a radical project that has just launched, bringing together the worlds of fashion and chemistry with the potential to clean the air we breathe.

The brainchild of Artist Professor Helen Storey MBE and Scientist Professor Tony Ryan OBE, the idea behind it is to employ existing technology in a new way - seeking to explore how clothing and textiles can be used as a catalytic surface to purify air.

The first part of the project has resulted in a dress - ably sported by supermodel Erin O'Connor in this promo film directed by Adam Mufti, moving to a soundtrack composed by Radiohead.

Following this, a series of cultural and art interventions will bring this forthcoming technology into the public domain, seeking to engage everyone in the idea of design for a better world.

The science behind the project is actually based on harnessing the power of a photocatalyst to break down air borne pollutants which gains the energy it needs to be active from light.

So, when the light shines on the photocatalyst, the electrons in the material are rearranged and they become more reactive. These electrons are then able to react with the water in the air and break it apart into two really reactive molecules called radicals which then react with the pollutants and cause them to break down into non-harmful chemicals.

Apparently, this technology is already at work in a number of commercially available products, including paints, cements and paving stones, but wouldn't it be brilliant if everything we wear did it too?

Get yourselves involved via the Catalytic Clothing Facebook page here.