Regula, a global developer of forensic devices and identity verification solutions, brought an unexpected twist to this year’s Intergraf Currency+Identity conference by showcasing its technology on the catwalk. The company’s precision-engineered components, typically used in document verification, were transformed into striking fashion accessories at a special fashion show in Milan.
The annual Intergraf Currency+Identity conference is a key event for security printing companies, central banks, and law enforcement agencies, bringing together experts in document authentication. Regula used the platform to exhibit its range of verification solutions, including magnifiers, optical filter turrets, and advanced spectral comparators. However, it was the brand’s unexpected role in the fashion defilé that captured the audience’s imagination.
Fashion Meets Forensic Technology
The conference organisers partnered with NABA (Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti), a renowned Milanese art and design academy, for a project titled “A Pocket Full of Milan.” As part of this collaboration, young designers created outfits inspired by the city’s street characters, including an office worker, a tourist, a fashionista, a commuter, and even a pickpocket.
Regula’s forensic technology components played a key role in two of these costumes. The Office Siren, representing a Milanese office worker, was adorned with embellishments made from Regula’s in-house moulded lenses—normally used to enable the anti-Stokes effect in document authentication. Meanwhile, a curious tourist was equipped with one of Regula’s magnifiers to examine a city map, reinforcing the intersection of functionality and design.
Other Milanese characters also benefited from Regula’s precision parts. Optical filter turrets, typically found in video spectral comparators to create controlled lighting for document analysis, became bold and playful accessories on the outfits of a street performer and a child enjoying gelato.
A Celebration of Creativity and Technology
Alex Lewanowicz, Director of Hardware Engineering at Regula, described the collaboration as a testament to the synergy between technology and artistic expression.
“At Regula, we believe that innovation is a creative process. Developing new forensic technologies requires imagination, experimentation, and a willingness to think beyond the obvious. That’s why we were excited to support the artists at the Intergraf Currency+Identity fashion show. Just as we push the boundaries of forensic technology, artists challenge creative norms to bring new ideas to life. Seeing our components reimagined in this way was a perfect reflection of that shared spirit of innovation,” Lewanowicz said.
The show’s finale added a touch of theatricality, with a pickpocket character “stealing” costume elements from other models as they walked the runway, ending up in the most extravagant outfit of all.
For Regula, the event highlighted the versatility of its technology beyond forensic applications. While its solutions are primarily used in document verification for institutions such as border control and financial services, the fashion show demonstrated how precision engineering can also be a source of artistic inspiration.
The full range of Regula’s forensic devices and identity verification solutions can be explored on the Regula’s website.
