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.

top view of 3D printed top

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.

Picture of the back of a 3D printed top

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.

Sinterit’s SLS 3D Printing and Flexible Materials Used to Make Strong Textiles for Opera Costumes

Spongee printed from Flexa Soft

Engineering, textiles, and additive manufacturing are different industries with different growth patterns, but they are connected by an important point: structures. Additionally, each of these industries have to struggle with limitations in order to build products for less money and materials and at a higher rate of speed. But rapid prototyping has changed how these things are built and opened the door to numerous new possibilities.

Selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printing, also known as powder bed fusion, is an accurate and durable technology that, while perhaps not the fastest method in time to part, is definitely a good choice when it comes to machines that can provide repeatable results or that print batches of many things at once. It also gives users more design freedom, which is why it’s possible to 3D print materials inspired by knitting and weaving.

But engineers aren’t typically interested in textile applications, which is why the fashion industry is driving the push to reproduce flexible features through 3D printing…leading to the invention of such innovations as hexagonal shapes corresponding to hinge joints with a pivoted angle. This kind of textile structure does not have a flexible, elastic surface, but can bend under pressure and deform.


There are many applications for flexible structures in the textile world, from decorative fabrics for interior design to upholstery and scenography, which is the design and painting of theatrical scenery. Along these same lines, SLS 3D printing can be used to create flexible textiles for theatrical costumes as well, which is what Mingjing Lin and Tsai-Chun Huang – PhD candidates in Fashion and Textile research at the Royal College of Art in London – have been working on.

Lin said, “3D printing is our media to probe creative possibilities generated from merging unlike/dynamic elements, such as digital technology and craft, traditional opera and modern performance, as well as East and West.”

Two years ago, the two began working with Polish desktop SLS 3D printer manufacturer Sinterit on creating costumes for Beijing Opera performances of “Farewell My Concubine.” Lin’s specialty is 3D printing, while Huang’s is in pleating, and the two were challenged to create 3D printed costumes that were both sustainable and flexible.

These couldn’t be just any costumes – in this opera, the costumes are an extremely important part of the performance, and had to be utterly amazing. The material used for the costumes needed to fulfill two functions: successfully create and hold the shape that the artist designed, while also being wearable enough that the performers could move freely about the stage. Clearly, this was no job for sewing mere materials like silk and cotton: 3D printing was needed to create more “dramatic geometry,” as Sinterit put it.


For this daunting task, Lin and Huang used the company’s Lisa 3D printer and special Flexa TPU material, which comes in Black, Soft, and Bright for use in various applications. Flexa is very wearable, and the costumes created with the material were able to synchronize with the performers’ bodies while at the same time retaining their shapes, which would not have been possible to achieve using more traditional materials.

The deep color of Flexa Black made it perfect for this particular opera, though Flexa Bright may be a better choice for textile fiber and costume designers, as this durable material can be dyed into different colors; Flexa Soft has the lowest hardness of the series, and is often used to design sportswear prototypes and sensory fabrics.

Obviously, those who work in textiles can find a myriad of uses for 3D printable materials that are both strong and flexible. But here’s the thing – while I noted above that engineers aren’t typically interested in this kind of application, I also believe that it would be to their best interests if they were. Think of the kinds of products they could make with materials, like Sinterit’s Flexa, that are strong enough to hold the specific shapes that are needed for different applications but are also flexible enough to bend and deform under pressure and then spring back into position. But maybe I’m not the best judge – does anyone out there know of any engineering-related applications that are using flexible textiles? Let us know!

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Bally Ribbon Mills Develops Film Infusion Capability for 3D Woven Joints

3D weaving. Gao et al. ©2017 American Chemical Society

I remember a long-term elementary school art project I participated in once that involved students weaving small bits of fabric together on a loom in order to make brightly colored textile objects that could only be described as ugly rugs for guinea pigs – that’s how little they were. I hated the tedious project, and hoped I would never have to hear about weaving ever again. I didn’t really, as it wasn’t a topic that came up often, until I first heard the term 3D weaving.

A weave is a pattern of intersecting warp and filling yarn; weaving, then, is the process of interlacing two kinds of of similar materials so they cross each other at right angles to produce woven fabric. 3D weaving works kind of like traditional 3D printing, and interlaces the material in layers to build a 3D textile object. One interesting method of 3D weaving, developed by Eindhoven Design Academy graduate Fransje Grimbere, coats a woven textile structure with resin to make a solid structure.

Pennsylvania-based company Bally Ribbon Mills (BRM) designs, develops, and manufactures specialized engineered woven fabrics, tapes, webbing, preforms, and both 2D and 3D structural fabrics. The company has nearly 100 years of experience in textile manufacturing, and works with applications in multiple fields, including aerospace, automotive, commercial, defense, industrial, medical, and safety.

Over the years, BRM has earned itself a well-deserved reputation for meeting difficult design challenges, including 3D continuous weaving. The company’s Advanced Products Group has developed the necessary technologies to fabricate complex 3D woven structures, like “Pi – π,” double “T,” “H,” and other net shapes.

“We make it a regular practice to take what was previously unattainable and make it a reality,” BRM says on its website. “If you’re looking for a new structure, or new ways to lower weight and cost without sacrificing integrity and performance, look no further than 3-D woven joints from Bally Ribbon Mills.”

This week, BRM has announced its new, unique film infusion capabilities for 3D woven joints, which can help its customers save processing steps. These complex 3D structures are mainly used in the aerospace field, and are custom made to fit the application – typically in airframe structural components and subassemblies, like joints and stiffeners.

BRM’s new film infusion process works like this: the company infuses a frozen film or sheet of resin onto one of its custom 3D woven joints. It can do this with a variety of different resins, and the capability allows the company to ensure consistent quality control for its products, as it can control more of the steps of the 3D woven joint assembly manufacturing process.

By developing this unique process, BRM’s customers won’t have to infuse the resin onto the 3D woven joints themselves once they’re delivered. By using film infusion, the company can actually ship its 3D woven joints as pre-made assemblies. By saving on processing steps that require specialized machinery, extra time, and work, customers can also enjoy extra cost savings as well.

One of BRM’s other capabilities is its 3D quasi-isotropical (0°, 90°, ±45°) near-net-shapes, which can be automatically woven using its computerized 3D Bias Loom.

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