Sep 29, 2016 | By Alec

The fashion industry is quite a strange world when you think about it. Why market clothing at sizes that just a very small percentage of your target audience can wear? Fortunately, that focus on extremely tall, wafer-thin models is changing, with the industry shifting towards more regular-sized bodies. Long Tall Sally, the trend setter for fashion for tall women, is now taking this to a new level by launching the world’s first store mannequin actually based on the exact proportions of one of their clients. The 3D printed mannequin was realized by 3D scanning London-based customer Harriet Winters, who is six feet tall and wears a US size 10.

Long Tall Sally has been ahead of the mannequin curve for some time, as they specialize in apparel for women of 5'8" and taller. As a result, their outfits are especially developed to proportionally suit tall figures and they already use taller mannequins wearing larger sizes. To complement their outfits, they built a mannequin that reflected the actual shape of a ‘real woman’ – down to her facial features. “In an industry first we’re now able to design and fit our collections on the mannequin of a real 6’0", [UK] size 14 customer – a game changer in tall womenswear," chief executive Andrew Shapin explained. “At Long Tall Sally we’re dedicated to offering our customers a true tall fit with true tall proportions, so bringing customers like Harriet to the heart of the process is invaluable.”

This resulted in a fantastic and unique 3D printed mannequin that will be used in the company’s London design studio for regular fittings and size checks – providing them with a unique way to ensure that everything proportionally fits a real woman. The mannequin will also be used in the company’s flagship store on Chiltern Street, London. To find the woman in question, they launched the “Are you Made Tall?” competition. Its winner, Harriet Winters, has now been immortalized as a mannequin.

To actually build the model, Winters was 3D scanned by Thom Bridle of Studio Forty Three. The scans were used to build a 3D model, that was cut into various sections (just like a normal mannequin would be). These were subsequently partly 3D printed, and partly made from foam and resins. The final model is about 6’0", with chest, waist and hip measurements of 38"-31"-40". At the same time, Long Tall Sally launched a website detailing the history of changing mannequin sizes over the past century.

Winters was honored to be the model for this realistic mannequin, and believes that the fashion industry should reflect all shapes and sizes of their clients. “To me, most mannequins on the high street look so similar and don’t always reflect real body shapes,” she said after seeing the final result. “I’m proud of my height and my figure and it’s really powerful to see a mannequin with the dimensions of a real woman.”

And she’s not alone, as fashion industry expert June Rowe applauded this new project and said it fits in with historical fashion industry trends. “The mannequin has always adapted with fashion, and new digital technologies have seen the industry embrace cutting-edge and dynamic forms – such as holograms and mannequins that move,” Rowe argued. “3D scanning of a customer meets the new demand of consumers that are looking for a more 'real' reflection of themselves in their shopping experience, as well as a more inclusive and forward-thinking fashion industry.”

 

 

Posted in 3D Printing Application

 

 

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