Would you like some 3D printed Fashion?

Are you ever bored of wearing the same wardrobe collection or don’t have the time or money to shop all your heart out? Wouldn’t it be fun to just print out a new blingy outfit casually at the luxury of your home and flout it out at a party? I can only imagine how sci-fi and unreal this might sound to anyone who isn’t aware of 3D printing and it’s intrusion into the world of fashion technology lately.

One can think of sundry examples from an intricately knit dress, a pair of fierce high heels or maybe just a comfortable pair of sneakers and while doing so, you’ve got yourself an idea of the phenomenally disruptive effects of potentially one of the most important technologies of this decade, 3D printing. This technology has been around since the 1980’s. In recent years, however, it now allows new creative experimentations, pops up on numbers of runway shows, and gives consumers a new mass-customization solution.

It’s now changing the way we manufacture clothing and goods at scale. The many benefits of this technology include faster builds that are cheaper and less wasteful while also being highly customizable, which is an important factor to consider in the world of fashion. 3D printing has also been lauded for its potential as an eco-friendly manufacturing option: there’s virtually zero waste, as items are made solely to order from only the amount of material necessary to manufacture them.

Transportation and logistics costs are also reduced, as manufacturing is done on the premises, in — house rather than in another location or warehouse in bulk and then shipped, such that finished clothing materials only get on a plane when a delivery order is made. Additive manufacturing of accessories in bulk like glasses, jewelry or watches to accompany particular fashion outfits offers a huge potential to the manufacturing sector as well.

Fit and Comfort play a highly significant role in the fashion vogue. Sports and sneakers brands like Nike, Adidas, New Balance are already using 3D Printing with varying degrees of success. For example, Adidas Futurecraft. Unlike traditional techniques, 3D printing would allow Adidas to address the specific needs of each customer by printing each sole according to the foot of its customers. In addition, printing a 3D outsole allows you to configure its structure to maximize the performance of the final shoe. A project that has not yet reached the mass adoption stage, but prefigures a real revolution: the soles created by this method incorporate a multilayer structure that could not be developed with traditional molding techniques.

There have been instances like one of 2013, when Iris Van Herpen entered a two-pronged tech meets fashion collaboration with a leading producer of 3D printers and a manufacturing software solutions company to produce a 3D printed collection at Paris Fashion Week. The gorgeous creations showcased how technology can help bring something new and innovative to fashion. The issue was that, while innovative, not everyone has access to such a collaboration, and it still required a sizeable investment. Another such instance is of United Nude. The company has been working for over 10 years with 3D printing, singling itself out as a producer of technically advanced ladies footwear.

But with the advent in time things have changed. I recently came across Gerber technology, one of the leading providers of fully integrated software solutions for the clothing industry has paired with Blender, and easy to use, free, open 3D creation software initially aimed at artists and small project teams. Adding Danit Peleg to this mix, a fashion designer with a love for technology-aided design and a penchant for experimenting with innovative production methods — The outcome was shown at the annual Blender Conference and wowed — not because, lo and behold, a magic box whipped up some wearable 3D printed dresses, but because of the wider implications of Peleg’s process for the fashion industry as a whole.

In time, 3D printing could turn your standard textile and design producers into unwanted middlemen. With 3D fabric printing, technically, independent designers — or anyone — can design, model and create entire collections from the comfort of their own homes. All you would need is a good understanding of IT, maybe some creative skills if you want to work on an intricate pattern, Voila: unique, custom fit, entirely ethical and, best of all, you didn’t have to invest in a single brand.

Before you run off and buy a 3D printer though, I should probably mention that at the moment, this is all a bit easier said than done. Currently, applications of the 3D graphics prototyping/3D printer combination in the fashion industry seem confined to resourceful independent fashion designers, entrepreneurs, or large companies looking to streamline their production process by embracing technology.

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