Research Project: A Fashion Q&A

Over the last few months, a number of different Fashion students have contacted me to learn more about how 3D printing will / already is effecting the industry. I'm really pleased to be able to help, and moreover, I really enjoy answering their questions.

I thought I'd post a recent Q&A I answered from an LCF student, who is conducting a research project into 3DP. If you have any thoughts or objections about my answers, please do get in touch as I'd really love to extend my knowldge in this area.

Your opinion on 3d printing and fashion:

I’m incredibly excited about the integration of 3D printing and additive manufacturing technology within the realm of fashion design and production. For me, the idea of achieveing perfectly tailored / couture clothing opportunities via 3D scanning and printing signals a natural progression within the industry, and I love the possibilities that such tech suggests. There are a number of critical tensions involved however - mostly that the maintenance of craft and hand-skill within the creation of (high-end) garments cannot and should not be overlooked. Contemporary designers working with the technology are finding ways to combine both tradition and tech to create innovative aesthetics for wearable pieces.

If these two fields are merging:

‘Fashion’ and ‘Technology’ are two extremely wide-raging terms to indicate industrial field - and with this in mind, I hesitate to simply answer ‘yes’. That being said, technology has always been an important part of fashion design and production, and I do not see the development of 3D printing to be exempt from supporting Fashion in the future.

Is there a viable future for fashion tech:

Wearability will always matter, and currently, I see the options for ‘wearable tech’ as being quite limited. Despite it’s invention over 30 years ago, 3D printing is still very much in its infancy with regards to end-use opportunities (perhaps the aerospace and medical sectors are an exception here). Especially within Fashion, usability still has a very long way to go - and essentially, the use of 3D printing within the production of a garment is very different to the use of robotics / electronics: a talking point which feels rather in vogue at the moment.

Where will 3D printing be in 2016:

The one thing that matters the most to interested people (across industry verticals) at the moment is materials. Without materials which can maintain the necessary properties once printed, appropriate end-use cannot be properlly achieved. 3D printing a rigid nylon cage (as a dress) has so far been recognised by the industry as 3D printed fashion - but only when more robust, flexible, and comfortable materials can be built into the production process will real progress be made. I do not think we will see a shift like this in 2016, but perhaps in the coming 5 to 10 years we will. Hopefully I can be proved wrong!

Is there a sustainable ambition with 3D printing:

Certainly. The opportunity to produce fast fashion efficiently (with minimal waste) continues to drive interested individuals and companies - and perhaps most overlooked in this area is the benefit of distributed manufacture via 3D printing. The transport of mass produced fashion goods costs the environment more than many of us realise, and it’s exciting to imagine the digital delivery of fashion files to be 3D printed, instead of racking up the air miles.

3D Printshow New York // Digital Fashion

Last week stood as the ninth 3D Printshow event that I've been heavily involved in producing. It was my second time working on the show in New York, and I have to admit that my love affair with the city has only deepened after another 8 days in Manhattan. We staged the four day show at Center 548 in Chelsea, right down the road from some of the most interesting gallery spaces - including Comme des Garçons and Gagosian Gallery. Needless to say it was fantastic to work in such a creative part of the city, as well as being so close to the water (West) and the High Line.

Lauren Slowik, Design Evangelist, Shapeways

I curated and produced eight conference sessions over three days - but my absolute favourite (by a long way) was the Fashion session, which explored notions and practice within New York's computational fashion scene. It wasn't just the content of the afternoon (or that fact that most of the speakers are now quite good friends), but it was the relaxed yet high-level feel of the event. I was extremely proud of have put together such an amazing afternoon, and I couldn't have been happier to see it filled with such interesting people.

Take a look at the schedule below, and catch up with some images of the show via our flickr. Next up: #3DPS London in 4 weeks.

Dior and I

ICA. Tickets booked. Late April. Absolutely cannot wait to be given this insight into Raf's journey through couture.

Layer by Layer: New Young Writers on Wool

Edited by Professor Catherine Harper at the University of Portsmouth, some of my written work has been published in Bloomsbury's Textile: the Journal of Cloth and Culture within a section called 'New Young Writers on Wool'.

In partnership with ModeConnect and The Woolmark Company, the work looks into the innovative ways that wool is being used in contemporary fashion design. I chose to alternatively deconstruct the production methodology differences between making a wool jumper and 3D printed a nylon element. I was inspired to explore this further after an interview with Massimo Nicosia, the Creative Director at Pringle of Scotland - who is integrating 3D printed parts into his traditional wool heritage brand.

It was a really fun project, and of course - it's always a delight to be published.

 

 

Disruptive Magazine: issue one

At 3D Printshow, we've recently launched the first issue of our new publication: Disruptive Magazine. I've been working on curating content for the event now for nearly two years, so was really excited to play a part in creating an editorial accompaniment to the show; I even came up with the name for the digital magazine during the concept development phase, which I was really proud of.

Visit the link below to download issue one, featuring a real selection of different articles about 3D pritning across a variety of industries. I've written a piece (pages 33 - 43) which explores why much of what's 3D printed in the fashion industry has been spurred on my the work of architects - and it was a lot of fun to write.

I'll be regularly contributing to the publication, which I couldn't be happier about. In the meantime, I'm putting together all of the conferences for this year's series of ten international events, whilst supporting onsite with arts management, curatorial and installation duties for our 3D printed fashion and arts galleries.

Please do get in touch with me if you'd like any more information: what we're doing is pretty incredible!

http://disruptivemagazine.com/magazine/

Margiela Mules

As usual - plenty of weird stuff making its way down the aisle at Maison Margeila (Fall '15 RTW). Still can't get away from the fluff though.

Balenciaga Pre-Fall 2015

Can't get this super cute fluffy thing out my head: