Nov 11, 2017 | By Julia
3D printed fashion has officially soared to national heights: fans of the Miss Multiverse Beauty Pageant and Modelling Competition will get to glimpse the first ever 3D printed national costume on Australian finalist Gabrielle Keaton this November. Shortly after securing her crown in the Miss Multiverse Australia qualifying rounds, Keaton announced her plans to wear a 3D printed gown to the finals in Dominican Republic, in what will be a first for the massive global pageant.
“We are thrilled and honored to be involved in the Miss Multiverse pageant, especially in the making of Miss Multiverse Australia finalist’s, Gabrielle Keaton, Australiana-themed ensemble,” said Erica Gray, the award-winning artist who designed the dress together with architect Zoran Zivanovic. “Its production is well underway to showcase Australia’s talents.”
Work by Erica Gray
Erica Gray (right) with one of her garments (model: Bella Louche)
The design pair were approached earlier this year by Yolandi Franken, the National Director of Miss Multiverse Australia, to commission the specially 3D printed piece. Gray and Zivanovic were obvious candidates, it’s reported, due to their extensive experience in freehand extruded printing, machine-based 3D printing, synthetic materials, and Augmented Reality.
an Erica Gray design
Currently in its construction stage, the 3D printed Miss Multiverse dress is inspired by the natural and aquatic landscapes of Australia, drawing on elements such as native wattle, coral, and crystal formations. Iconic Australian architecture such as the Sydney Opera House also features as heavy inspiration, in addition to international fashion landmarks such as the Louis Vuitton Foundation Building.
Taking these references as a starting point, Gray and Zivanovic decided to combine traditional sewing techniques with contemporary manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing throughout the design process. From the initial dress design to assembly and material selection, innovation has been at the centre of this “modern-age handcrafted, machine drawn, componentry printed, cottage industry design,” as one Australian outlet describes.
Zoran Zivanovic (left) and Erica Gray
Gray likened Zivanovic’s involvement to “another tool in the process,” assisting with collaboration and converting hand-drawn sketches to 3D models suitable for printing. “The overall vision and cooperation came together like a layered puzzle,” she says, ultimately creating a dress that was “stylish and contemporary; a dress built from layers of sculptured design, freehand 3Doodled extrusions, 3D printed componentry, even a little lighting.”
It’s a design that Gray feels is true to Australia and its national flora emblems. “It serve as a beautiful backdrop to our beautiful Australian representative.”
an Erica Gray design
Miss Multiverse Australia Gabrielle Keaton will be competing for the world title this month. 30 contestants from 30 countries will come together on November 18, 2017 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana in Dominican Republic. With the Australian representative wearing Gray and Zivanovic’s 3D printed masterpiece, sources say you won’t be able to miss Keaton on stage.
Posted in 3D Printing Application
Maybe you also like:
- Dartmouth's WiPrint tech uses low-cost 3D printed reflectors to custom improve WiFi signals
- Xuberance & Farsoon 3D print beautiful handbag collections from TPU
- NASA kicks off $2M 3D Printed Habitat Challenge Phase 3: On-Site Habitat Competition
- Mulindi Japan One Love to bring 3D printed prosthetics to Rwanda
- World's largest lens, 3D printed by Formlabs, coming to Times Square
- 3D printed MakerSat-0 CubeSat to launch into space this Friday to assist in Made In Space material research
- Pjotr introduces first solid gold 3D printed luxury fountain pen for €14K
- BAM, TU Clausthal and German Aerospace Center participate in micro-gravity 3D printing tests
- 3D printed bioceramic stents inspired by lotus root structure improve vascularization and bone growth
- Six 3D printed coral reefs installed on Monaco's ocean floor
- Blizzident introduces 3D printed flossing device that lets users floss 'with just one bite'
- 3D printed steering wheel helps Bloodhound supersonic car hit 210 mph in 8 seconds
3Ders.org provides the latest news about 3D printing technology and 3D printers. We are now seven years old and have around 1.5 million unique visitors per month.
