3d print fashion Archives - Perfect 3D Printing Filament

Julia Körner’s 3D-Printed Setae Jacket Inspired by Butterfly Wings

The delicate wings of a butterfly have inspired a great deal of 3D-printed innovations, such as stronger structures for electronics and ultra lightweight geometries for better load bending, unique artwork, and even fashion. Pioneering 3D-printed fashion designer, architect, adjunct professor at UCLA, and, most recently, 3D-printed costume designer, Julia Körner has long used the technology in her work. Now, she has turned to 3D printing once again for the design of her eye-catching Setae Jacket, which was, as you may have guessed, inspired by butterfly wings.

“Julia Koerner is an award-winning Austrian designer working at the convergence of architecture, product and fashion design. She is internationally recognised for design innovation in 3D-Printing, Julia’s work stands out at the top of these disciplines,” her website states. “The constantly intriguing aspect of Julia’s work is its embodiment of a beautiful organic aesthetic.”

She was one of 15 designers chosen by non-profit organization Austrianfashion.net to show her work—the 3D printed Setae jacket—at its recent Virtual Design Festival (VDF). The organization is a platform that is focused on promoting contemporary Austrian fashion designers and partnered with VDF to exhibit innovative fashion designs and accessories by designers who were either born, or are currently based, in Austria, and also produce their work locally and sustainably.

Austrianfashion.net said, “[Körner’s] work on the future of 3D, as well as on its current applications, can be seen as revolutionary practice. Strongly believing that the future of fashion is 3D, Körner is making sure she is at the forefront of the revolution.”

Her beautiful, 3D-printed Setae Jacket is part of the 3D printed Chro-Morpho fashion design collection by Stratasys, which we’ve discussed here before, and was also inspired by colorful butterfly wings. The collection is meant to show how technology and textiles can work together, and even create commercially viable pieces of clothing. The jacket was 3D printed out of flexible Vero material on one of the company’s multimaterial printers, either the J750 or the J850, and every bristle resembles setae, which is a stiff structure akin to a hair or a bristle.

“The research explores digital setae pattern design and multi-color 3D printing on fabric, inspired by microscopic butterfly wing patterns. Butterﬂy wings are made up of membranes which are covered by thousands of colorful scales and hairs, plate-like setae,” Körner’s website states.

She used photographs of Madagascan Sunset Butterfly wings, and the setae on the wings were actually digitized into an algorithm, “which translates the color pixels into 3D bristle patterns which correspond to the form of the garment design.”

“The digital designs are 3D printed in an innovative way, without any support material and directly on fabric,” the site continues. “The relation between the colourful rigid setae and the ﬂexible fabric create enigmatic visual effects when the garment is in motion.”

To form the jacket, the bristles were 3D printed on denim. When the garment is worn, the setae move along with the person, which is a really interesting effect.

“Due to the movement and delicate color transformation, it expresses a true organic animal flow that comes to life,” Stratasys states.

Do I spy a zipper?

It is definitely a unique piece, and while lack of comfort and wearability is always one of my biggest critiques when it comes to 3D-printed fashion, the Setae Jacket absolutely looks wearable to me.

What do you think? Discuss this story and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the comments below.

(Source: Dezeen / Image Credits: Ger Ger 2019)

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Anouk Wipprecht’s 3D-Printed Proximity Dresses Are Perfect for Social Distancing

If you don’t remember the stunning and technical work from Anouk Wipprecht—the Dutch fashion design working on “rethinking fashion in the age of digitalization” by combining engineering, fashion, robotics, science, and interaction/user experience in an emerging field known as FashionTech—let me refresh your memory. Noting that fashion lacks microcontrollers—something I never would have thought about—Wipprecht is an amazingly unique designer, who wants her clothing to, according to her website, “facilitate and augment the interactions we have with ourselves and our surroundings.”

“In a future where electronics are predicted to be embedded in everyday objects, – what kind of clothes will we wear? Will future techno fashion be purely aesthetic – or will it expand our awareness, acting like an intelligent second skin? Will we become super sensory, physically aware of data flows, communicating our internal states through the garments we wear? And, most pertinently perhaps, how will we socialize in our world when we are supervised by technology?”

Anouk Wipprecht’s Smoke Dress

Back in 2014, Wipprecht launched a campaign to create the first crowdsourced 3D-printed dress, and followed this up with her Synapse Dress, partnering with Materialise, Niccolo Casas, and Intel to create a wearable that leverages the wearer’s own electrical currents for a fully immersive experience. The designer later combined 3D printing with virtual reality to create a collection of dresses for Audi, and worked with model and musician Viktoria Modesta to fabricate 3D-printed prosthetics for musical performance.

Now, the high-tech futurist designer is back with two new 3D-printed wearables that could be very useful in this time of social distancing, due to the continuing COVID-19 crisis: the Proximity Dresses, Robotic Personal Space Defenders.

“Extending my research into proxemics and the body, I have fabricated two new dresses that create physical barriers when a person is detected in the immediate surroundings of the wearer,” Wipprecht said. “These twin dresses respond based on proximity and thermal sensors and indicates strangers within the intimate, personal, social and public space around the wearer.”

As with Wipprecht’s Smoke Dress and 3D-printed, robotic Spider Dress, which literally moves itself into an attack position if the embedded proximity biosensors detect that the wearer is uncomfortable, the design for these new dresses is based on Edward T. Hall’s Proxemics Theory. She explains that the theory defines “four spaces around the body,” each of which has its “own characteristic distances.”

Anouk Wipprecht’s 3D-Printed Spider Dress

“Whereas Hall had to measure the space between people using a wooden stick, I have been working since 2007 to translate these concepts into the digital domain, in order to measure the spaces between people up to a range of 25 feet,” she explained.

The Proximity Dresses use robotic, nylon 3D-printed hip mechanisms to extend when necessary. Additionally, they feature a transparent collar, 3D printed from clear resin, with some fancy sensors that offer noise-free distance readings.

Anouk Wipprecht’s Proximity Dress

These sensors use “high-output acoustic power combined with continuously variable gain, real-time background automatic calibration, real-time waveform signature analysis, and noise rejection algorithms. This holds true even in the presence of various acoustic or electrical noise sources, making it suitable for on-body use.”

By using the sensors, Wipprecht’s unique designs can invisibly trace their surroundings. Additionally, since the sensors don’t record any images or video, the dresses are not a threat to privacy, as nearby people remain anonymous.

“The Proximity Dress 2.0 is based on my 2012 prototype of this dress using hip mechanics create distance and a proximity sensor (ultrasonic rangefinder) for VW showcase during IAA, in Germany,” she concludes.

Check out the video below to see Wipprecht discuss her innovative, defensive Proximity Dress with Hyphen-Hub:

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For a Personalized Look, Try a 3D Printed Pompillon Bow Tie

There’s something fantastically dapper about a bow tie, and a 3D printed version definitely takes this fashionable look the extra mile. Ties and bow ties, along with ascots and scarves, were born from the cravat, and can quickly elevate an outfit. But using 3D printing to make these fashion-forward accessories means that you can easily play with the shape and texture of the tie for a more unique aesthetic.

Pompillon, a clothing brand based in Italy and Germany, was founded in 2017, based on an idea from bow tie collector and aerospace engineer Luca Pompa, also the founder of the brand. That idea, of course, was to use 3D printing to make more creative, customizable bow ties. The name Pompillon is a playful merger between the surname Pompa and ‘papillon,’ which the website explains is “the French name of the beloved bow tie.”

“The vast assortment of colors of bow ties and combinable ribbons wants to encourage everyone’s imagination to the maximum, to personalize his style with a small accessory with attention to every detail,” the Pompillon Facebook page states. “Moreover, the various editions will allow collecting them in all its lines.”

3D printed Pompillon bow ties merge classic shapes with creativity, experimentation, and technology; add in attention to detail and a wide range of ribbons and tie colors, and the sky is the limit when it comes to personalizing your style. The Pompillon tie takes the typical bow tie silhouette, reduces it down to the most essential lines, and reinterprets the accessory with 3D printing.

The brand uses another Italian original to fabricate its bow ties – Sharebot 3D printers. Pompillon bow ties are 3D printed using a hexagon infill shape. Several of these six-sided polygons, all with sides of equal length, are joined together to make the bow tie and optimize “structural packing to the maximum.”

3D printed Pompillon bow ties are perfect for classic, everyday style, and for more formal occasions as well. The brand’s ideal clientele are those who appreciate a personalized and colorful look, as they enjoy dressing in a refined way, without being boring.

The bow ties are 3D printed out of plant-based, biodegradable PLA material from renewable resources, which keeps them lightweight. In the future, Pompillon will make special editions of its bow ties out of carbon fiber, marble powder, and even wood.

Pompillon has two versions of its bow tie – the filled Gentlemen and the open Rebel. When you combine the two, it makes the Unique model. The brand also offers a Gala Edition bow tie, which appear to only come in black and white for more sophisticated evenings, à la James Bond. These 3D printed bow ties are completely customizable with a variety of colors, clips, and ribbon, so you have a lot of choices to play around with in making your own unique accessory.

You can visit the brand’s online shop page to see what’s available. Two of the looks I really like are the Pompillon Dark Rebel, which is a red ribbon and black bow tie combination for just €24.90, and the Pompillon Unique White Snow & Blue Ocean, also at a price of €24.90. A 3D printed Gala Edition bow tie will set you back just €26.90, and several of the Pompillon Gentlemen ties, including my favorite in the limited edition Nature Green color, only cost €19.90.

They even look good on dogs!

“Have fun using them in bulk or combined with our other Pompillon. Make it unique and customizable for every look and mood,” the shop page says.

“Take a picture wearing it and post it on social media. If you send it to info@pompillon.it, it will be published and advertised on our social networks! plus you will have the chance to win a free one…be Lucky!”

Would you wear a 3D printed Pompillon bow tie? Let us know! Discuss this story and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below.

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Stratasys and threeASFOUR Debut NYFW Collection, Featuring a Dress with Elements 3D Printed Directly on the Fabric

NEW YORK, NEW YORK A model walks the runway during threeASFOUR Runway Show hosted by Klarna STYLE360 NYFW on September 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Thomas Concordia/Getty Images for Style360)

As is the case with many other industries, from aerospace and medical to automotive and military, 3D printing has been infiltrating the world of fashion…and what better venue to highlight the combination of technology and textiles than New York Fashion Week? Held in September and February, the semi-annual New York Fashion Week (NYFW) series of events is one of the world’s four major fashion weeks.

Years ago, New York City design firm threeASFOUR founded an avant garde fashion label that frequently uses 3D printing in its garments, which we’ve seen at previous NYFW events. For the September 2019 series, the company teamed up again with frequent collaborator Stratasys for a truly innovative runway look: the first high fashion garment with elements that were 3D printed directly onto the fabric itself. The Chro-Morpho collection, introduced at the firm’s fall/winter runway show, shows that 3D printing on clothing has commercial potential.

“This has significant implications from a business perspective,” Craig Librett, the Senior Public Relations & Public Affairs Manager for Stratasys, told us. “Instead of creating elements separately – and manually affixing them later – this new technique enables fashion houses and brands to develop hundreds of exclusive pieces with 3D printed elements that can be sold and worn on the mass market.”

With a few exceptions, most 3D printed fashion consists of elements that are 3D printed separately, and later affixed to the garment itself. But Stratasys believes that 3D printing directly onto textiles could really help open up the technology’s “commercial viability” in terms of functional, flexible, and modern apparel.

“Within the next two years, I believe consumers will be able to purchase an array of 3D-printed garments from high-fashion brands. And the result will be access to an explosion of unique color and texture combinations that are simply not possible through traditional methods,” Stratasys Art, Design and Fashion Director Naomi Kaempfer said in a press release.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK A model walks the runway during threeASFOUR Runway Show hosted by Klarna STYLE360 NYFW on September 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Thomas Concordia/Getty Images for Style360)

Stratasys worked with threeASFOUR and fashion designer Travis Fitch to create the Chro-Morpho collection, which was inspired by the color morphology and light filtering of butterly and insect wings. For instance, a Greta-Oto dress from the collection uses a lenticular effect, engineered by Stratasys, to play with both color and light – spherical cells made of photopolymers the size of fish scales were 3D printed directly onto polyester, which causes the piece’s color to shift each time it moves.

“We’ve created the skin-like illusion of switching shades and depth to portray the insect’s innate camouflage, color diversion and luminosity. With 3D design and printing, we’ve embodied the fragility and light wing movement of the butterfly. It’s a stunning display of nature, fashion and technology,” explained Adi Gill, Co-Founder and Creative Director of threeASFOUR.

The dress has 27 parts made up of thousands of cells – each piece is made up a clear lens that contains strips of color inside. All told, it took about 17 hours to 3D print the polymers onto the dress using the Stratasys J750 3D printer, which just made its NYFW debut but has been previously used in fashion 3D printing.

The full-color, multimaterial PolyJet 3D printer is able to produce over 500,000 different combinations of colors, gradients, textures, and transparencies. Designers can enjoy more design freedom, as the system is able to handle the microscopic layers and delicate geometries of 3D printed garments, and the J750 is also beneficial to a designer’s business, as it can replace multiple manufacturing machines, make the supply chain simpler, and save on time, cost, and space.

This latest NYFW project with threeASFOUR and Fitch is a major step forward for Stratasys in its quest to combine 3D printing with fashion for high-end clothing and, hopefully, series production in the future, for those of us who can’t afford clothing pieces right off the runway. According to Kaempfer, 3D printed fashion is more about working with fabric materials, instead of just replacing them.

“Soft, lithe fabric touches the skin, while 3D-printed designs adorn the outer garment,” Kaempfer said. “This approach, developed through months of collaboration and testing, was the only way to realize the designers’ vision. It brings the intricacy, nuance and splendor of the dresses to life.”

In order to encourage artists, designers, engineers, and scientists to explore using 3D printing for fashion, Stratasys is also providing its PolyJet technology to the European Union Re-FREAM program, which is funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 program and part of the broader Science, Technology & the Arts (STARTS) initiative.

Kaempfer explained, “We are always looking to revolutionize manufacturing methods, pioneer new design options, and inspire designers and students to create without boundaries. Our mission is to change the way people think about design and to redefine what’s possible.”

The collaborative, 3D printed Chro-Morpho collection will travel around to museums across the US once NYFW is over. Starting on October 21st, you can see it on display for yourself at the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s “Designs for Different Futures” exhibition, and in 2020 the collection will head to both the Art Institute of Chicago and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Discuss this story and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below.

[Images: Stratasys]

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TextileLab and Fabricademy: Interview with Anastasia Pistofidou on Sustainably 3D Printing Fashion.

Fashion and sustainability are two words that feel as antonyms nowadays. The mass production of clothing and ethically doubtful methods of manufacture give one of the biggest economic forces one of the top rankings of the most polluting sectors. This creates a negative social influence and climatic impact that makes obvious the need for a change to make fashion great again. This issue is not new and many people are working towards a better future. And although the changes come slowly, the mentality and so with it the industry is moving towards a healthier direction.

Picture of a 3D printer printing a sample

3D printing on textiles, one of the innovative methods in fashion industry. 3D printer at Fabricademy. Credit: Anastasia Pistofidou

One of those people who believe in the need for a change in fashion is Anastasia Pistofidou. She is a Greek architect specialized in digital fabrication technologies. Based in Barcelona, currently works as director of the FabTextile research lab and Fabricademy, a new textile and technology academy. The FabTextile project offers an “Open sourcing fashion production for a global innovation ecosystem.”. It is a research platform that seeks a new approach in the fashion industry through the use of technologies as 3D printing or CNC milling.

Taken for FabTextile website:

In Fab Textiles we are developing and implementing a new approach on to how create, produce and distribute fashion elements, by using distributed manufacturing infrastructures and knowledge networks. Fab Textiles offers a cross-disciplinary education and research platform, where production and culture through advanced technologies are making impact in the way we think and act towards the fashion industry.

3D printed top. Credit: Anastasia Pistofidou

As we have mentioned in other posts, the use of 3D printing in the textile sector is opening a new scope that is oriented towards improving the present landscape of fashion. Although we are still making baby steps before we graduate to major achievements, there are some interesting ways that 3D printing can add to fashion. Some of the positive things 3D printing could bring this field is the possibility of creating tailored garments that waste less material. The capacity to produce locally and improve distribution systems, saving transportation costs and pollution are other benefits. Also, the idea of open source fashion is quite interesting and could shift the way we design clothes, enhancing the customization of pieces to fit personal needs while making fashion more of a collective endeavor.

We asked Anastasia some questions in order to learn more.

Which 3D printers do you use?

We use various 3D printers using FDM technology, mainly BCN and Prusa.

What materials can you print?

We can print in TPU, PLA, Filaflex, nylon.

How would I work with you if I was a fashion designer?

You can make your sketches and patterns in paper and we can 3D model and 3D print them.

Why is what you do important?

Because it is a completely new production process and it used 3D models that are digital and not physical patterns on paper. you can also design directly in 3D, not necessarily in a flat pattern. You can send your 3D file anywhere to be printed, without having to ship garments

What is the added value?

Distributed production, collaborative production, self making, self sustenance.

What are you adding to the 3d printing & fashion world?

Techniques, tutorials, educational material, methodologies, products as showcase, artistic pieces.

Can you actually wear the garments?

Yes, you can.

Can you clean it in a washing machine?

Washing machines may change as well, imagine cleaning your garments as you are cleaning a table, it will be different cleaning method.

3D printed top. Credit: Anastasia Pistofidou

Researcher Presents Case Study on Partially 3D Printed Lace-Like Dress

Lace isn’t just for wedding dresses or your grandmother’s doilies anymore, especially not when 3D printing is involved. Researcher Lushan Sun recently presented her case study about a 3D printed garment, titled “Instilled: 3D Printing Elastic Lace,” at the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) Annual Conference Proceedings.

“The purpose of this design study is to explore the elastic performance in the various 3D printed structures using flexible FDM filament (nylon) in ready to wear apparel,” Sun wrote in her paper. “The goal is also to explore visual illusion in surface design through digital textile printing. Research through design (RTD) methodology was applied in this case study, and data were collected through reflexive journal documentation, video recording of the virtual design process.”

[Image: Danit Peleg]

Many designers are experimenting with the use of 3D printing in customized apparel design, in order to solve aesthetic issues as well as creating a unique design that’s also functional. While some designers, like Continuum Fashion with its N12 bikini, use SLS technology to create articulating structures for clothing, others, such as Israeli fashion designer Danit Peleg, use FDM and more flexible materials to make pieces that are actually comfortable to wear.

This second was the route that Sun took for the study, which focused on the “inspiration of visual illusion.” Sun integrated organic forms, which fused together to look like lace, in the prototype garment, which featured a delicate torso and skirt portion, completed with a flared silk skirt with an uneven hemline. The torso part of the dress, which blends two digital design applications, was lined with silk habotai – one of the most basic plain weaves of silk fabric – and did not require an additional closure in the form of a zipper.

“The torso was developed in silk charmeuse and consists of a stylized neckline and waistline. The back consists of two layers, a stylized cowl neckline and a 3D printed portion (nylon in FDM). The silks are draped over the elastic 3D printed lace to juxtapose the loosely fitted and the form-fitted silhouettes,” Sun wrote.

“Overall, the organic engineered print and 3D printed lace patterns in the front and back help to provide a unique focal point from different angles of the garment.”

There were four important phases in the development of the dress. First, Sun explored and sampled the chosen engineered textile prints in order to work out the appearance and color schemes, using Adobe to generate graphics for rendering and manipulation. Draping techniques were then used to develop flat patterns for the flowing piece.

The third step consisted of using direct 3D modeling techniques in Rhino to fully reflect the style of the dress’s organic shapes.

Sun explained, “The units were repeated to form the various groupings that were sampled for different elastic performance.”

The shapes in the lace-like, 3D printed part of the garment, which is fitted to the waist, upper hip, and shoulder, were customized to the shape of the flat pattern, in addition to being engineered to different scales so they would fit both the elastic and aesthetic needs of the dress. Finally, Sun used commercial Rit dye to give the 3D printed part of the garment the same ombre transitioning color scheme that the textile portions had.

“The resulting garment prototype takes the advantage of engineered elastic performance of the 3D printed lace in form fitting,” Sun concluded.

“This case study also suggested some challenges exist in developing a resilient and flexible structure that is both comfortable and durable in wearing. Future research should consider alternative 3D printed structures through difference 3D modeling techniques. Additionally, alternative complexity can be considered in the structure with different FDM materials.”

I can honestly say, without a doubt, that this is one of my favorite 3D printed pieces of clothing. I would definitely wear this dress out and about, as it looks comfortable enough to spend a decent amount of time in…pair it with some 3D printed high heels and I’m out the door!

What do you think? Discuss this work and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below.

The Future of 3D Printing and Fashion Design Through the Eyes of LabeledBy

LabeledBy is a design studio based in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. They work in fashion and their area of expertise is research and technology development. Their products range goes from technological textiles to innovative couture. As engineers with master degrees from the Technical University of Eindhoven, they are able to explore the future of fashion and adapt innovative methods to fashion design that bring the craft of clothing forward.

Jessica Joosse, co-owner of LabeledBy

In their own words, here is their mission:

We strive for a personalised, localised and sustainable fashion industry. Therefore it is our mission is to transform the fashion industry through innovation and technology. We develop new textiles that are relevant for a diverse range of applications, and research alternative digital manufacturing systems for textiles and garments. These systems have the ability to automate labor intensive and dangerous processes, improving worker safety and wellbeing. Next to that, these digital manufacturing systems encourage on demand and personalised production of garments, resulting in less waste and more value for the customer.

Picture of a detail of a 3D printed pattern

Detail of a 3D printed pattern on textile

The use of 3D printing in fashion is creating an optimistic path towards the future of textile and clothing. What is presented nowadays as exclusive showpieces could be a possibility at hand for everybody in the future. As one of the most important features of 3D printing, the possibility of have a personalised garment that fits each body perfectly by being unique makes us impatient to see the future of fashion design.

LabeledBy is a studio that has placed its bet in this direction. They offer a future-oriented service of trend research, textile development as well as the making of exclusive showpieces. With an in-house production, they have the possibility of personalise each project and develop it in terms of manufacturing techniques and material. They work with a 3D printer that prints directly on textile, being able to create form small samples to big garments. Starting with an Ultimaker that they then modified the team is now continuing to develop their own print methods.

Garment made by LabeledBy

Picture of a detail sample mady by labeledby

Detail of textile. Image by Jessica Joosse.

I reached out to LabeledBy to interview Fabienne van der Weiden and Jessica Joosse on their chosen craft.

How does your 3D printer work?

The principle of the 3D printer is comparable with an FDM printer, however, it is redesigned and optimised for 3D printing garments and textiles.

What materials can it print?

The printer prints all the materials (filaments) currently available on the market. We are constantly tweaking the machine so it can also print with more experimental and biodegradable materials.

How would I work with you if I was a fashion designer?

With our manufacturing technique, the sky’s the limit in terms of design and materials! Fashion designers can make use of our pre-developed textiles or can collaborate with us to develop new textiles which will be implemented in the final design that can be printed on our 3D printer.

Why is what you do important?

FashionTech is there to explore and form the future, in anticipation of current society and its culture. By implementing technology in fashion we can make clothes on the edge of the existing framework and approach the state of the art from unknown perspectives. By doing this, we are able to create a culture in which society is encouraged to discuss the future of the fashion industry.

What is the added value of what you do?

We believe that fashion is not only perceived as functional, it also has the ability to show someone’s identity. Therefore garments could become much more personal, both in fit as in expression. Using technology during the process of creating a garment gives us the possibility of making the garment more personal and unique.

What are you adding to the 3D printing & fashion world?

The combination of digital generated personalized patterns (through for example AI) and digital manufacturing techniques gives us the possibility of easily changing the design of each garment without additional costs or long setup time. This gives fashion designers and fashion brands the possibility to efficiently adapt and personalize their garments to the fast-changing needs of their customers. We actually believe that this can give the fashion industry a lot of freedom and benefits when applied correctly!

What do you think about the future of 3Dprinting & fashion?

We believe strongly that consumers’ search for unique and sustainable consumption experiences will gradually drive the emergence of a different paradigm. Such a paradigm will require new technologies for consumer-driven design, new production methods for flexible, efficient and local on-demand production down to lot size one. And of course a seamless network of designers with different fields of expertise, working with these new technologies in an open-source community. We are excited for the future of fashion!

Can you actually wear the garments? Can you clean them in a washing machine?

Absolutely! Check our Instagram. Currently, our garments are worn by performers and artists. Yes, that’s not a problem! We use materials that are suitable to wash in a regular washing machine.

Personally, I do believe that 3D printing has a lot to offer the fashion world. Given my experience with developing 3D printing filaments as an engineer, I’m skeptical about the real-life wear and washability of 3D printed garments today. But, I’m sure that motivated people like Fabienne & Jessica will get us there in the end. We are at the beginning of a long path whose end requires a creative mind to foresee. The difficulties are in imagining a future of 3D printing in fashion which itself creates new aesthetics that still feel futuristic to us. As a designer, this idea of new aesthetic tinkles my mind. I’m excited to see the work of studios like LabeledBy which help us to envision the future of 3D printing and fashion through their dedication.

Designer Julia Daviy Stuns at New York Fashion Week with Functional 3D Printed Fashion Collection

Parametric Black Ocean Dress

Clothing is one of the many tools with which we use to express ourselves. I am generally a jeans and t-shirt kind of person, but many of my shirts have quotes from books or movies on them, or logos from places I’ve visited; I also still wear many of my shirts from college. Now, I certainly don’t wear t-shirts to special events – I pull out the dresses for those – but I consider casual clothing to be more of my everyday type of outfit, and I bet I’m not the only one. But that’s one of the great things about fashion – if you consider skirts and dresses to be everyday clothes, you’ve got plenty of choices.

Speaking very generally, 3D printed pieces of clothing are not what I usually consider to be everyday wear. I personally find a lot of 3D printed fashion, while very unique and beautiful, too high concept to actually wear out anywhere. However, some 3D printing fashion designers, like Julia Daviy, are working to change this perception.

Daviy, an ecologist and clean technology industry manager, is creating a new kind of biodegradable fashion out of 3D printed plastic. She believes that 3D printing will change the way clothing is produced, and maybe even one day replace traditional textiles altogether. She also believes that the technology can be used to solve worldwide problems such as chemical pollution, animal exploitation, energy consumption, and material waste.

At this month’s prestigious New York Fashion Week (NYFW), Daviy released the first 3D printed fashion collection in the US that not only uses large-format 3D printing, but is also considered to be a functional, wearable, everyday clothing look for women. According to a press release for the Digital Journal, Daviy’s clothing “aims to liberate the creativity of women by using 3D printing technologies to create an entirely new age for the fashion industry.”

“The 2018 NYFW had history written all over it as different fashion brands across the globe took to the runway to show their latest collection. One designer that particularly caught the eyes of fashion lovers across the globe is Julia Daviy,” the Digital Journal release said. “Over the years, the concept of 3D printed pieces has grown in popularity and acceptance with designers using hard materials with ultra-sophisticated designs to create amazing pieces. However, such pieces are usually almost impossible to wear for everyday activities due to the materials used in making them.”

Daviy’s 3D printed Liberation Collection, consisting of bespoke skirts, dresses, and two suits, debuted on September 6th at The Fashion Meet Technology NYFW event. She used both FDM and SLA technology to 3D print her pieces, and combined multiple filaments. Daviy personally designs each piece from scratch, and also completes each stage of production herself.

“Julia Daviy’s works are particularly unique as all looks are completely 3D printed, which is unlike other designers in the industry that print on several parts and require further post-processing to get the final piece,” the Digital Journal press release stated. “This innovation in addition to the use of “wearable” materials that helps to bring 3D printed fashion into the mainstream of everyday clothing are distinguishing factors of the designer’s collection.”

Pink Coral Neon Skirt

I need to stop right here and say, for the record, that while I think Daviy’s 3D printed collection has some stunning pieces in it (her Polka Dot Exoskeleton dress inspired by sea urchins is one of my favorites), I don’t think the vast majority of it could be considered everyday wear. The closest it comes, in my opinion, is with the Lace Mini Skirt and the Pink Coral Neon Skirt, the latter of which used parametric lines and a 3D pattern not dissimilar to snakeskin. But I can’t imagine walking out of my house on some random Wednesday afternoon in the Fragility Dress.

However, with a few exceptions (looking at you, Parametric Skin Suit), I will agree that most of the collection appears to be pretty wearable. Watching some of the videos on Daviy’s website, the clothing all appears to be breathable and easy to move around in, and I would wear that cute Parametric Black Ocean Dress, 3D printed out of biodegradable PLA and flexible TPU, to any fancy evening event. Just hanging out at the mall on the weekend, however – not so much.

However, feel free to take what I’m saying with a grain of salt – this is coming from a person who is currently clad in denim shorts, a black tank top, and fluffy gray slippers, after all.

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