PHOTO: Sueddeutsche Zeitung Photo / Alamy Stock Photo

Berliner Durchreise may be the oldest fashion fair in the world, tracing its origins as far back as the 19th century. But in 1959 the show proved every bit as modern as the recently announced microchip, as that's when the chemical company Hoechst AG showed off a new synthetic fabric called Trevira by creating a collection of dresses – shown here sported by models – derived from the textile. One of the emerging breeds of polyesters then coming into vogue, Trevira was soon adopted by famed German designer Jil Sander, who incorporated the man-made fabric into her first clothing line.