By Thomas Smith
Source: Green Prophet , Yael Mer

Imagine a world growing warmer, a world in which the polar ice caps are melting. Rising water levels threaten citizens across the globe. Inescapable flood waters rush into cities and towns, making it impossible to escape homes and buildings on foot or via automobiles. Coastal areas have been evacuated and all are safe except one woman.

Forced to work uncharacteristically late, she’s trapped in an office building and surely doomed without some sort of floatation device. Seemingly over-dressed for the occasion, this woman calmly and, perhaps, foolishly moves to the rising water’s edge. In the blink of an eye she inflates her eye-catching red skirt, transforming it into a kayak made for one, and paddles to safety. Yes, this is how my story treatment for the prequel to Waterworld begins (seriously, Universal, call me). It may sound ridiculous, but the story is based on fact! There are inflatable kayak skirts and I can prove it.

Designer Yael Mer’s quirky Evacuation Skirt was conceived after the flooding in New Orleans. She says she wanted to raise the question of whether emergency and beauty can be intertwined. “The skirt keeps its glamorous look when it’s deflated on the one hand, and on the other, it inflates into a kayak with the right amount of volume to carry a grown up woman.”

It’s an interesting concept to be sure. But with the age old tradition of “women and children first”, isn’t it about time someone helped us guys out a little? Maybe some brilliant designer out there will come up with a pair of inflatable flip-flops or jeans.

Please?

For more of Yael’s designs, visit her website .