Sep 15, 2016 | By Tess
With New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2017 in full swing, we at 3Ders were excited to see what 3D printed pieces and garments would come to the fore, and which innovative designers would be using the technology for their latest collections. Let us just say, the week did not disappoint, as NY-based fashion collective threeASFOUR unveiled an absolutely stunning 3D printed dress at their show on September 13th at The Hole Gallery in New York City.
The dress, dubbed “Oscillation”, was presented by threeASFOUR as the centerpiece of their Spring/Summer 2017 collection “Quantum Vibrations”. Made in collaboration with designer Travis Fitch (whom threeASFOUR has partnered with numerous times) and 3D printing company Stratasys, the Oscillation dress is truly unique, as it is made up of 30 individual multi-material, multi-color 3D printed parts, which were assembled from 270 design files.
The inspiration behind the dress’ pattern is worth mentioning, as threeASFOUR were exploring notions of source energies and primal, universal vibrations in the Quantum Vibrations collection. This exploration was translated into the collection through a series of beautifully intricate 2D patterns which expressed vibrational forms, which can be seen and appreciated through the Oscillation dress in particular.
The 2D patterns that made up the dress were designed with Travis Fitch’s help and were realized using Stratasys’ multi-color, multi-material 3D printing technology. More specifically, each of the thirty individual dress pieces was 3D printed as flat pieces, which were then assembled on the body to make up the dress. Using varying flexible materials for the dress pieces, the designers were able to ensure the dress was actually wearable.
Adi Gil, one of threeASFOUR’s founders, said of the design process: “3D printing is transformative for designers aiming to take complex designs and realize them as a wearable garment. In the case of ‘Oscillation’, Stratasys 3D printing enabled us to visualize 3D patterns as they truly are – complex, interwoven circles of energy, transforming in shape, color and flexibility as they radiate around the body. The stellar parallax of the patterns, the way in which they transform as the viewing angle changes, is only possible through 3D printing.”
If you remember threeASFOUR’s previous work, especially their Fall/Winter 2016 “Biomimicry” collection, you might be surprised to see that the design group has traded in their previous dark color palette for something pleasantly bright and colorful. That is, the Oscillation dress’ bright blue and pale yellow palette stands in stark contrast to threeASFOUR’s previous collections, and gives off al almost ethereal effect.
The colors themselves are meant to reflect another level of oscillation on the dress and help to give the effect of a “multi-dimensional textural surface,” as Gil calls it, by emphasizing and accentuating the 3D printed patterns and geometry. In order to achieve the gradated color effect for the dress, each of the 30 dress pieces was first digitally split into 9 separate layers, each less than 1mm in thickness. Next, each layer of every piece (for a total of nearly 300 unique design files) was colored separately and was given its own flexibility properties, which when put together made up the stunning garment that is the “Oscillation” dress.
“With ‘Oscillation’, we are inviting our audience to explore abstract universal ideas and thought changing concepts, and bringing these to life in three dimensions and vivid color. With forward-thinking projects such as this, threeASFOUR has set an example in design innovation, and has continued to transform the way people think about fashion,” said Naomi Kaempfer, Creative Director at Stratasys.
threeASFOUR, which was founded in 2005 by Gabi Asfour, Angela Donhauser, and Adi Gil, has continually and consistently pushed the boundaries of 3D printing in fashion, creating not only aesthetically stunning pieces, but also inspired and thoughtful ones. In their previous collections, the designers explored such themes as organic, biological forms, a trend which has continued into their current Quantum Vibrations collection.
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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