Fashion started when humans began wearing clothes, so the statement ‘the history of fashion is a history of people’ is a matter of fact. Even with the pandemic in the picture, the world of fashion is still going but with a slight twist: technology is here to stay and be a part of every aspect of our lives, even fashion.
Ph. Simon Lee, Unsplash
To keep up with the trends, 3D printing is becoming a widely used alternative to fabric in the fashion industry.
We can trace the origin of fashion design back to 1826! Fashion reflects the passage of time and if we look back we can learn a lot about history and culture solely based on the fashion trends. Zooming to the last two years, everyone could notice the rapid growth of technology and it is not a surprise latest innovations entered the industry.
Is 3d Printing Replacing The Sewing Process?
Ph. Tom Claes, Unsplash
The biggest threat in the world of fashion is fast fashion and all the negative aspects of it, from the terrible working conditions to the effects on the environment. Many people nowadays are more conscious about the way they approach fashion. Those new aspects are taken into account and are pushing designers to look for ways to accommodate their customers; this is where new innovations come in handy. It is becoming important to use 3D printing for sustainable and eco-friendly purposes, as well as turning the advance of technology to your advantage. 3D-printed garments can cut manufacturing waste, reduce carbon footprint, and promote circular economy. Fashion is embracing 3D printing due to its many advantages, and there are no limits to the possibilities. From clothing to footwear to accessories, 3D printing offers unlimited opportunities.
Kinematic Garments
One of the most well known kinematic garments is the kinematic dress of design-studio-cum-science-lab Nervous System, founded in 2007. Designers and co-founders of Nervous System studio, Jessica Rosenkrantz and Jesse Louis-Rosenberg, merge nature and technology in their line of Kinematics garments, including the Kinematics Dress, that was required by the Museum of Modern Art in New York for their permanent exhibition. Rosenkrantz and Louis-Rosenberg say that “the Kinematics Dress represents a new approach to manufacturing which tightly integrates design, simulation, and digital fabrication to create complex, customised products".
This future started at some point in the past, the studio was working at this already in 2013!
The Making Of The Dress
The dress is made up of 2,279 unique triangular panels and 3,316 hinges, to allow it to be printed as a single folded piece at the Shapeways factory in New York. All the pieces of the dress are rigid individually but, once combined, they function as a piece of continuous fabric that allows the dress to conform to the body and flow fluidly as it moves. The founders of Nervous System wanted to create a 3D printed garment that is both a gorgeous futuristic piece and comfortable for the wearer. At that time, most fashion designers experimenting with 3D printing made good looking garments for a magazine photoshoot, but if you were to wear it, the dress would feel like being covered in plastic. The designers' goal is to create a simple 3D printing method, so they developed an app to allow wearers to indicate their body shape and specify their desired length, patterning, silhouette, and other customizable design details. “We’re interested in computerising the entire manufacturing process” says Jessica, “we’re still in the very beginning, but we envision a future where people end up using their skill and creativity to create an end product that is completely accessible and affordable”.
Envision a future where you will be able to create and print your own unique garment in your bedroom with the click of a button. This is no longer a dream, it is a reality and people are doing it. It is exciting to observe the innovations, tactics, and designs that are created as this technology grows and it’s even more exciting to be a part of it.