Apr 9, 2016 | By Tess
Every person’s wedding is a memorable event, from the romantic ceremony, to endearing familial antics, and especially of course, to the bride, whose dress and beauty rarely fail to impress. For one Sri Lankan bride, her wedding day was especially memorable, as the woman not only turned heads with her exquisite beauty but with a stunning 3D printed wedding dress. The dress, designed by Sri Lankan fashion designer Charlene Thuring, marks the first 3D printed wedding dress worn in Sri Lanka, and judging by the positive reception it received, we doubt it will be the last.
Thuring, who founded her own forward thinking fashion brand “c.h.a.r.l.e.n.e”, had heard of the potentials of 3D printing within the fashion industry, but did not have much experience with the technology itself. This unfamiliarity did not stop her, however, as she set out to design a 3D printed wedding dress for one lucky bride with the help of Sri Lanka’s first 3D printing firm, 3D Concept Studio.
“Ever since I first heard of this amazing invention I could not stop thinking about how I could use it in my collection,” explains Charlene Thuring. “At the same time I had to wait for the right client that would accept it as it had not been used in the Sri Lankan fashion industry yet and so was not at all conventional. The client who came to me with a rather unusual wedding dress request was ideal as there was nothing that I could have done traditionally to meet her expectations.”
Thuring conceived of the dress’ design and translated the idea into a workable 3D model and 3D printable file with the help of the engineers and makers at 3D Concept Studio. Determined not only to create a bridal gown her client would love, but to make advances in the combined worlds of fashion and 3D printing in Sri Lanka, Thuring adapted very quickly to additive manufacturing technologies.
As she explains, “I am very keen to know how anything is created so I asked a lot of questions of the 3D Concept Studio team that were only more than happy to walk me through the technology. This helped me understand where and how to utilize 3D printing in my design. And the ultimate result of this was a super excited bride that not only had an especially memorable day but walked down the aisle with the only dress of its kind in the country.”
The wedding dress, additively manufactured by 3D Concept Studio, was reportedly not only a sight to behold but had functional characteristics that the bride could enjoy as well. Nissanga Warnapura, CEO and founder of 3D Concept Studio explains of the design, “The final dress was not only beautiful but also gave the bride the freedom to seamlessly transition from wedding ceremony to reception, as the skirt could be removed and replaced with one more comfortable.”
3D Concept Studio, which was founded in 2013, was the first rapid prototyping firm in Sri Lanka and continues to offer its services in 2D and 3D design, as well as 3D scanning, 3D printing and laser cutting. Over the years, the firm has maintained a strong philosophy regarding the accessibility of 3D printing and has proven it through their partnership with the University of Moratuwa’s Department of Electronics, which allows the university's students to utilize their products and services. Now again, with their recent collaboration with Charlene Thuring the company has shown their openness with the technology as well as their innovative spirit. Warnapura has added of the recent collaboration to create Sri Lanka’s first 3D printed wedding dress, “3D printing holds a lot of potential for the fashion industry in Sri Lanka. Our designers can now let go of traditional constraints and explore a wider array of shapes and designs.”
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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