Photographic study by Neil Waldo. Images at 500X magnification.
Iridescence is the apparent changing of colour a surface exhibits when the angle at which light hits it is altered. This can be caused by the surface changing formation on a microscopic level or by the viewer moving their viewing position.
So – make a thing, with loads of tiny (really tiny) coloured segments. Those coloured segments should progressively transition from one colour to the next. Then, make the surface flexible. Then flex it. The colour should appear to gradually shift as the surface moves.
The Nike X Stone Island collaboration uses a trilobate (tri-star,) yarn profile lamination on the exterior. This creates variance in the physical structure and alters the opacity to the main fabric beneath. This combined effect delivers a majestic iridescent or metallic sheen as the fabric flexes.
