3D Printed Fashion: A Dual Approach

Since the inception of 3D Printing in fashion, the innovators and originators of the medium have come from various disciplines of design. Prototyping was the main use for the first 30 years, being most popular in the areas of engineering, architecture, and product design. The 3D software that was used in these industries to visualize the designs lent itself to 3D printing fashion.

Francis Bitonti, Julian Hakes, Richard Beckett & Neri Oxman all designers whose most notable work is in 3D printed fashion design, yet their backgrounds are in Architecture and they used their 3D skills to create fashion pieces. The most notorious fashion designer who has ventured into 3D printing is Iris van Herpen who often collaborates with designers from other disciplines to create and visualize her intricate 3D printed designs.

In this paper, the researchers from 2 different of the aforementioned disciplines, who both use 3D printers, offer a unique insight into the pros and cons of 3D printing fashion from each perspective.