Technology is enveloping the fashion world in many ways, and in this blog, I am going to be focussing on 3D printing within the fashion industry.
The fashion industry is the second largest polluter after the oil industry, and 3D printing has the potential to help reduce waste. Textile waste is one of the issues within the fashion industry, 3D printing can help as you only need to print what you need, reducing waste. Adidas has used this technology within some of its trainers, the lattice structure is meant to redirect vertical impact into horizontal forward motion. It also does create an interesting marketing angle.
The company Zellerfeld has taken it one step further, 3D printing the entire shoe. The company prints the shoes to order, reducing waste and they are fully recyclable, with the company saying you can return the shoes and they will be made into new ones. You can adjust some elements to fit your feet, as you can see above you can choose the width, fit and cushion. I like this a lot, as someone with narrow feet, I often find it tricky to find shoes that fit well, so this would be great for me.
I can't say that I am a fan of the look though, though they do have a similar style to Yeezy’s which are extremely popular, so maybe they’re just not my style. They’re fun, and interesting and would certainly be a conversation starter, however, I personally would rather spend $250 on a pair of hand-made shoes that maintain a skilled profession.
Julia Daviy is using 3D printing technology to create everyday fashion. 3D printing has been seen in fashion for some time, however only in outlandish runway designs and not in an adaptable way for the average person. Daviy says “My aim is to change how garments are produced and transform the industry, as well as turn customers into designers with endless possibilities for customisation. They will no longer be mere consumers,”.
Daviy prints her pieces in 2 to 4 parts in thermoplastic polyurethane or uses resins with stereolithography, which required little to no post-production work. Using electronic body scanning, the clothes can be designed to fit perfectly for the wearer, removing the issue of struggling to find clothes that fit you without requiring costly tailoring. She is producing clothes with biodegradable filaments such as PLA which is corn-starch based, hoping there will be more environmentally friendly, biodegradable filaments entering the market in the coming years.
Marta Cherednik is designing 3D printed bags and the design above is made from nylon, printed in one single part, and is intended to make the user think about how they consume fashion. 3D printing has allowed her to bring any of her ideas to life whilst reducing waste and creating durable and reusable items. The crystals just snap into their settings without the need for glue, which makes the piece far easier to recycle.
More on Julia Daviy: https://www.madelokal.com/blogs/news/julia-daviy-ecologist-3d-clothing-designer
Zellerfeld website: https://www.zellerfeld.com/
3D printed fashion: https://www.sculpteo.com/en/3d-learning-hub/applications-of-3d-printing/3d-printed-clothes/
More on Marta Cherednik: https://i.materialise.com/blog/en/reusable-3d-printed-bags/
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