Nov.15, 2013
3D printed intricate headpiece sculptures designed by Ray Civello and Stephen Ma and manufactured by Solid Concepts took to the catwalk at Aveda Congress 2013 in October.
Ray Civello, CEO of Aveda Canada and renowned session hair dresser for 37 years plus, planned to make Aveda Congress 2013 his last time on stage. He wanted to make his final statement something very unique, something more than hair.
Two weeks before Aveda Congress 2013, Civello designed three beautiful headpieces and his friend Stephen Ma, a talented CAD designer modeled Civello's designs in 3D CAD. "It's the old story: I drew little shapes on the back of an Air Canada napkin and that got into Stephen Ma's hands and the universe aligned," says Civello.
They first began prototyping the design by hand in Civello's massive workshop at AVEDA Canada, but quickly realized the raw and organic nature of sculpting by hand just couldn't capture his vision.
"I watched the team work and I could see it just wasn't going to make it; it would be organic, raw architecture which was not what my eye, my head and my heart was looking for. I was looking for something very refined, something extremely sophisticated and beautiful. I wasn't looking for something hard and geometric in that sense; I was looking for something that still had the romance of roundness to it but refined and elegant." says Civello.
"We were trying to figure it out but we were far, far away. It would have never worked [by hand]."
Stephen Ma had worked with Solid Concepts and 3D printing during his undergraduate career. After modeling Civello's designs in 3D, he sent them to Solid Concepts. The company manufactured the designs using 3D printing via Selective Laser Sintering which created the perfect, refined and elegant look Civello envisioned.
"SLS is perfect for this kind of application, where thin branches stretch and intertwine and delicate overhanging features sprout out over each other in an entangling engagement of space and flow. Selective Laser Sintering doesn't use build supports, but rather builds in a supportive bed of nylon powder. The nylon is flexible enough to meet the organic curves of the models' heads and strong enough to withstand the weight of its outermost features even though the base is rather small." says Solid Concepts. The SLS sculptures are then painted in rich gold, bronze and silver.
And the outcome of the 3D Printed hair sculptures is, in Civello's words, "Spectacular."
"3D Printing gave us the opportunity to look at a whole different way of approaching the design. The [3D Printed] outcome is really what I was looking for: Refined, beautiful, elegant and very detailed. I can't imagine how we would've gotten that amount of detail by hand, it just couldn't exist." says Civello.
Check out the video below an interview with Ray Civello, a backstage look at the art of hair dressing, and a peak of the 3D Printed headpieces taking on the catwalk.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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I can't help but picture these guys trying to follow in the footprints of Makerbot (I mean that in the worst way possible): Starting off on the shoulders of giants and rightfully being open-source, but then slowly closing their doors with "proprietary" BS once they finally figure something out on their own. Its one way or the other Airwolf. You must choose. Either create everything yourself and make it all proprietary, or continue to build on the work of others before you and make it all open-source out of respect. I also question the validity of their "jam-resistant" hot-end. Looks to me like the chamfered lip would be MORE prone to jams. And what the hell is proprietary about a removable hot-end tip?
K Robyn wrote at 11/15/2013 8:51:06 PM:
I think this is such a unique and innovative use of 3D printing. Love the one that scoops around the back of the model's head. Well done, Solid Concepts and Aveda
JD90 wrote at 11/15/2013 3:31:55 PM:
It would be nice for 3D printing not be best known for BS like tacky fashion accessories. That, and plastic guns.