The future is now.
Fashion is an art. Much like any other art, it will always change with the times. Not only do trends and ideas change, but new technologies are introduced and used. While 3D printing is not nearly as hot a button as the latest political issue or whatever social media companies are doing right now, it is still highly versatile and people are still finding new ways to use it every single day.
If you want to play semantics and say that sewing machines are similar to 3D printing, in the sense that they are machines used to make things including fashion, then yes. However, using a sewing machine is not the same thing as outright printing a whole outfit using this technology. There is certainly room for a discussion about using this underestimated field of technology in developing designs for daring dresses. Thus, this discussion presents more opportunities than you might be expecting.
What is 3D Printing?
Unlike most printers which simply stamp ink onto blank pieces of paper based on computer inputs, 3D printers use those same inputs to move a small needle that heats up a thin line of plastic to slowly build up the shape being printed. These can be as simple as small plastic letters to put your name on a shelf or a desk, or as complex as toys with multiple pieces. This technology is considered exceedingly revolutionary, so it should be no surprise that schools are conducting programs to teach young children how to create with this new machinery. Though, what does that have to do with fashion? More than you might think.
Technology Meets Fashion
3D printers are mostly associated with trinket creations made out of thin layers of melted and hardened plastic. However, the fact is that these printers are simply tools to create and are simply compatible with the reels of plastic twine. As technological hobbyists can tell you, technology can be utilized for even more than just this.
Think of it as if the printer is someone with knitting needles and the plastic is the yarn. The yarn can be different materials and the final product can be whatever garment you want. Someone even 3D printed a whole pizza and it’s being implemented by NASA. None of this information may seem relevant at first until you realize that 3D printing can now be used on organic material, meaning that making biodegradable fashion can now be a whole lot easier with this technology. There is certainly a lot to be said about the fashion designers who use this technology in a way to accentuate and create these new designs.
Designers Using the Technology
Some fashion designers are already implementing 3D printed elements into their dresses and outfits for the world to see. These designers are a glimpse into what the future may hold for potential sustainable fashion. Political Fashion now presents a brief list of those designers and an accompanying example of their work.
The Rose Dress by Zac Posen.
- Zac Posen: The Rose Dress
First on the agenda is a bright ruby red dress by designer Zac Posen. As the name heavily implies, the dress is designed as a sort of inverted rose where petals overlap downward in order to create the flowing shape and form of this dress.
Instead of the typical rose where the petals are upward, they are intentionally done in a way that creates this elegant gown. The stunning shades of red all come together in a way that makes the piece stand out. Anyone wearing this piece at a gala will be sure to get people’s attention and become the talk of the party. It would not be hard to picture this at a sort of garden themed party.
- Ganit Goldstein: 3D Kimono
This carefully designed kimono by Goldstein was created with a 3D printer in a way that followed the model’s form. The kimono is made with soft cool colors with various different shades of blue in gentle gradient shapes and sprinkles of purple and lavender coloring here and there.
It’s like a serene watercolor painting reminiscent of a lake surrounded by flowers or an oceanside sunset. The way the textiles are stitched together may be considered a flaw by some, but it can also be considered a stylistic choice to be reminiscent of a fine quilt. Ganit Goldstein also has other outfits in a portfolio that can be accessed here.
- Anouk Wipperecht: The Spider Dress
Those of you with arachnophobia, please shield your eyes! This creepy crawly dress uses 3D printed parts to show off those eerie spindly legs and large freakish eyes spiders are known for, creating a sort of macabre elegance. Anyone walking into a room wearing this outfit will certainly be the ones to turn heads.
The contrasting black and white color scheme of the dress adds to the somewhat eeriness of the dress, the lack of calming colors drawing attention to the bizarre shapes of the complex design. You can also look into Anouk Wipperecht’s portfolio to look further into these unique designs.
Queen of Wakanda. Image courtesy of the New York Times.
- Julia Köerner
You may or may not recognize the name itself, but you most certainly recognize her works. Julia Kӧerner was a fashion designer behind Disney’s Marvel’s Black Panther. Her most famous work was with Queen Ramonda in the aforementioned film played by talented actress Angela Bassett.
The queen wears an assortment of different outfits with a number of dynamic color pallets including a deep purple and a radiant white with gold accents. However what remains consistent with all of these outfits is the stunning headdress that acts as the queen’s crown. Yes, the color of the crown changes to match the dresses, but the crown’s overall shape stays the same because they are designed after the Isicholos of Zulu regions in South Africa. The fact that this crown takes real world inspiration from African culture is a testament to Julia’s dedication.
She also has a robust portfolio that you can look into yourself.
- Iris Van Herpen: Wedding Dress
A wedding day is a very coveted day in someone’s life. Not everyone gets married, but those who do rarely if ever forget their wedding day. As such, we see this wedding dress designed by Iris Van Herpen. This is not your average white gown that flows elegantly in the wind. This dress instead has a complex mesh of designs in various shades of white and takes unique shapes that harken back to designs of fairy and angel wings. This principle even extends to the veil headpiece that accompanies this dress as shown on the model’s head in this image. The more mystical elements of this design makes it stand out when compared to the more traditional wedding dresses we see in TV shows and movies.
It is somewhat like the Spider Dress designed by Anouk in that it has a primarily white monochrome color scheme that draws more attention to the unconventionally angular designs that creates this grand design with the traits of animals both real and mythical.
- Asher Levine: Dragonfly Bodysuit
This unique outfit from designer Asher Levine in collaboration with Nervous System is a whole bodysuit that as the name suggests is based off of a dragonfly’s wing. This promotional piece is able to combine form and design. Once again we get a 3D printed fashion piece based on an insect much like Anouk’s Spider Dress. They spent a lot of time on creating this unique costume, utilizing all the tools at their disposal to create this monochrome bodysuit.
Speculatory Cooldown
While these artists have already made great strides in fashion design, there is certainly room for even more revolutionary paths to be taken in the field. As mentioned before, 3D printers can be modified to utilize materials other than plastic and can be used to create things that human hands would not normally be capable of without long strenuous hours—or even years of arduous craftsmanship, merging designs piece by piece to create one grand finished product.
There is a chance of the future holding biodegradable fashion, which would certainly make an impact on climate change. 3D printing opens the door to new materials and styles for fashion. As such, imagine how 3D printing can lead everyone into a much brighter future. When all is said and done, all of these fashion designers are simply a glance into the future of fashion design with all of the new technology slowly but surely being developed. The ways that each and every design comes together with clear intent is and always will be true of all fashion, as well as all mediums of artistic design. Truly, life imitates art as every piece is a gear in a greater design. Life is one big clock and we are all cogs working towards our own destiny. Whether that destiny is one worth living to see is up to our choices.
