New Fashion Line Makes Celebrities Invisible to Flash Photography

A new breakthrough in celebrity fashion may help A-lister’s avoid the paparazzi while they are out and about.

A clothing line, dubbed “Flashback,” was designed by Los Angeles-based music producer and DJ Chris Holmes. It is being referred to as the “ultimate in anti-paparazzi clothing,” as it uses innovative technology.

“It’s called retro-reflective material,” Holmes told CBS Los Angeles. “I had a pair of shoes that were made of it and when people were taking photos of me and I was wearing the shoes, it was ruining all the photos.”

So, how does the new product work? Holmes explained:

If you take a photo with an iPhone or any kind of smart phone with a flash, the camera can’t compensate for the brightness of the jacket, so it turns into pure white and everything else is completely blacked out.

Holmes, who first got the idea while he was on tour with Paul McCartney, created the new pieces exclusively for celebrities, but has now made the line available to everyone.

“The idea originally was, you know, to kind of give people more control over whether or not they are photographed. Pretty much everywhere you go, everybody’s got their camera out. Everybody’s waiting for a crazy moment to capture to post online,” he said.

The material used in the new clothing line is reportedly the same fabric which was used to make Marlon Brando’s original “Superman” suit.

Today, it is also used in commercial products, including stop signs.

A scarf and a hoodie are being sold for $200 per item on Betabrand.com, which crowdfunds new clothing ideas.

“So, this is the Photobomber Flashback jacket Betabrand. And this was the first one to get crowdsourced. It is water-repellant, too,” said Holmes.

Supermodel Cara Delevingne sported a similar jacket last November, called the Rochambeau 3M Paparazzi Blocker, which also wreaks havoc on photos with its wildly reflective material.

“It’s not necessarily made for paparazzi and celebrities. It’s the idea that everybody acts like the paparazzi and so the clothing is for everybody to kind of get back their consent. It’s also really fun to play with,” Holmes concluded.

For more information on the Flashback line, click here.