3D-Worldwide, printing is used for a wide range of purposes, with 3D-printed clothing being the most recent. Well, if you’ve ever handled or observed a 3D-printed object, you’re aware that the printer doesn’t print with your skin in mind, so why not? 3d-prints are generally made of plastic and lack flexibility, thus restricting your movement. The likelihood is that the clothing would result in more bandages and scratches than it was actually worth. So, who would ever choose to wear clothing that was 3D printed? Who knows, maybe it will be you one day.
3D Clothes at Paris’ 2013 Fashion Week
Iris van Harpen, a Dutch designer, displayed a black dress, a skirt, and a cape while many other designers were busy showcasing their most recent designs. These two pieces, out of the eleven in van Harpen’s Voltage collection, were printed using Stratasys and Materalise’s “Mammoth 3D Printer.”
A dress that looked like it was made of 3D-printed lace and was designed by Australian architect and UCLA professor Julie Koerner. The Mammoth Stereolithography printer from Materialise was once more the device of choice. The Materialise’s Mammoth, in contrast to many other printers, uses laser sintering—a method of fusing tiny particles together—and a material that has been specially created to produce the soft, flexible outfit. This is the second time Koerner has used “The Mammoth.” She first made a dress that some compared to liquid honey that was semi-transparent.
The skirt and cape created by Neri Oxman, a professor at MIT’s Media Lab, may have been the most bizarre design. She created her dress using Objet’s Connex, which combines different materials into a single structure and enables Oxman to combine hard and soft materials. In her Imaginary Beings Collection from last spring, Oxman displayed 18 3D-printed sculptures using the same printer.
World’s First 3D Printed Clothing for Consumers
Although the 3D printing innovation in Paris is fantastic, what about the general public? Is fashion produced in 3D scalable? The N12 3D-Printed Bikini from Continuum Fashion, however, shows a hint of wider appeal. Behind Continuum Fashion are the two creative minds of Mary Haung and Jenna Fizel. The two women created the crucial algorithm that gave rise to N12’s circular pattern using the CAD software from Rhino 3D. Nylon 12 is smooth against the skin, waterproof, and even becomes more comfortable when wet. The material is 7mm thick, or about 2-3 times the thickness of a single hair. Continuum has recently advanced the use of 3D-printed clothing and shoes.
Future of 3D Clothing
3D-printing is constantly pushing forward with new applications. We can anticipate that the clothing market will expand as costs decline and 3d printers become more commonplace. 3D-Since 3D technology makes highly personalized and customized objects available at a reasonable price, printing and fashion make the perfect pair. Imagine browsing 3D clothing online in the not-too-distant future, altering contours and shapes interactively, and then receiving your lovely creation in the mail a week later.