For my final project I want to explore 3d printed wearables. My goal is to create a custom top that I will actually be able to wear. The top will be made of several solid pieces designed to fit the curves of the body. To allow for movement the pieces will be laced together at the joints. The lacing will also allow for greater size range as well. To add to the design I want to explore adding a texture to the printed pieces so that they’re not just flat objects but instead a piece of art in themselves. My current design for the top can be seen below however I may change the shape of pieces based on fittings.
Deliverables
- The 3d printed top in a wearable state
- Test prints of patterns for proof of concept
- Models/programs used to generate the components
Timeline
- Week of Nov 20- Finalize dimensions for the printed pieces and come up with a couple patterns
- Week of Nov 27- Complete test prints for proof of concept and model printed pieces
- Week of Dec 4- Complete prints for use in the top
- Week of Dec 11- Make final post print adjustment and lace together the top
Related Work
I found a masters thesis written by Kirsten Lussenburg about 3d printed textiles that covered a lot of information about the use and design of printed wearables. The paper goes into great depth on printing garments that mimic cloth textiles. This isn’t the primary focus of my final project as I wanted to focus more on the pattern on the print rather than flexibility, however the paper provided several other projects that acted as inspiration for my own design. The first of which being designer Iris van Herpen who frequently incorporates pieces that have been 3d printed in her collection. Many of her designs are far beyond my reach for this project however they are still stunning to look at and prove that adding 3d printing to the fashion industry allow the creation of clothes on the edge of imagination. The second project I found in the In Bloom Dress by XYZ Workshop. The level of intricacy in their design is similar to what I hope to achieve. They were also able to add flexibility to the parts the went into creating the dress which I may be able to incorporate in my own design to make it more comfortable. All links and documents related to these projects can be found below.
https://www.irisvanherpen.com/
Hi Lasair, what a wonderful idea! I was also contemplating on making some sort of fashion piece, as I love design and particularly wearable designs. There is a few Instagram accounts that I follow for different ideas. One is @sewprinted and she also has TikTok account that is pretty awesome. My favorite is Sierra Sandinson on TikTok – her 3D printed disco dress is absolutely amazing and I SO want to attempt to make something similar.
Thank you for the suggested accounts, I’ll have to look them up!
Hi Lasair! I think your project sounds really exciting. I dont know that much about textiles but I’m curious about what material(s) you will use and if you will test what materials work best! Im really curious about the comfort of 3d printed materials. I really love the abstractness of the inspirations you chose, and I’m excited to see what you come up with!