Sep 8, 2016 | By Tess

Nervous System, the innovative 3D design studio responsible for one of our favorite 3D printed dresses, has outdone themselves once more with a new (and dare I say improved) version of their stunning Kinematics 3D printed Petals Dress. The Massachusetts based design studio unveiled the original version of the dress earlier this year as it was to be exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. The new dress, made with the same unique 3D printing method as the original, was commissioned by the Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences in Sydney, Australia, who wanted to feature it in their new exhibition “Out of Hand: Materializing the Digital” which will be running until June 25th, 2017.

Original version of the Petals Dress

The new Kinematics dress does look similar to the first dress with its distinct petal-like scales, though it features a number of new stylistic details. For instance, the bottom hem of the dress is scalloped in the front rather than asymmetrically cut, and the neckline resembles more of a halter style than the previous dress’ scoop neck. While some may be partial to the classic look of the first iteration of the dress, I tend to find that the new version is slightly more flattering as well as on trend. Of course, it does help that the dress is being worn by talented dancer and model Fhi B-Ado in Nervous System’s presentation of it.

As mentioned, both Kinematics Petal Dresses were made using the same design technology and 3D printing method that Nervous System has mastered. The new dress, for its part, is made up of 2,191 interconnected petal-like elements, which were 3D printed as a whole out of a durable nylon plastic material using Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). How does one 3D print a dress larger than a 3D printer in one shot? Well, that’s where Nervous System has been really ingenious, as the design studio, run by founders Jessica Rosenkrantz and Jesse Louis-Rosenberg, has devised a method wherein it can digitally fold the garment into a small enough piece that it can be 3D printed as whole and simply unfolded when the print is done. That means that the dress is ready to wear pretty much as soon as it is done being additively manufactured.

As Nervous System explains on their blog: “We employ a smart folding strategy to compress Kinematics garments into a smaller form for efficient fabrication. By folding the garments prior to printing them, we can make complex structures larger than a 3D printer, that unfold into their intended shape.” To achieve the dress’ vibrant red color, the design duo simply dyed the white nylon material by submerging the dress into a bath of red dye.

If you want to see the dress in person, you’ll have to pay a visit to the Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences in Sydney, Australia, where it will be featured as part of their ongoing exhibition, which explores the place and role of digital manufacturing in a variety of fields including art, science, fashion, design, and architecture. Even after the exhibition, however, the 3D printed Petal Dress and one of Nervous System’s beautiful 3D printed Hyphae Pendant Lamps will remain in the museum as part of its permanent collection. For those who may not have the chance to visit Australia, you can still check out this beautifully captured video of Fhi B-Ado dancing in the new Petals Dress.

 

 

Posted in 3D Printing Application

 

 

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