Jul 28, 2017 | By David

3D printing is starting to have a serious impact on the world of fashion, and we reported a few years ago on the work of Israeli fashion designer Danit Peleg, whose five-piece graduation collection for the prestigious Shenkar College of Design was entirely built using a desktop 3D printer. The pioneering fashionista has been busy since then, promoting the use of 3D printing technology to revolutionize garment design and production, and she has recently achieved a major industry milestone, with the first ever 3D printed jacket becoming available to order on her website.

Peleg’s limited edition bomber-style jacket is made from a special rubber-like material, with a fabric lining. It can be personalized according to the customer’s size and colour preferences, and each item will be one of only 100 ever produced. With this exclusivity comes a pretty hefty price tag - each jacket will be set you back around $1,500. However, given the time and materials  that were required for production, Peleg claims that this is a  fair price, and why not pay a little extra to wear a piece of 3D printing history?

The idea to make a 3D printed-to-order garment originally came about when Peleg was designing a dress for dancer Amy Purdy to wear during the opening ceremony of the Rio Paralympic Games. "It was really stressful to make it because I didn't get a chance to meet with the dancer beforehand," Peleg says. Having never met her client, a double-leg amputee who performed a samba solo at the event, she relied on the groundbreaking app Nettelo, specialized software that enabled her to carry out a virtual fitting session. She used this same program to create the design for her 3D printed jacket.

Total production time for the garment was around 100 hours, which might seem like a lot compared to conventional manufacturing methods, but it’s actually 3 times faster than when she 3D printed her first collection just two years ago. If the technology continues to advance at this rate, 3D printing clothing could take less than a day, and more companies and designers might be implementing it into their regular production cycle.

Connecticut-based Gerber Technology provided the workflow solutions that Peleg required to carry out her project, and she has been collaborating with the company ever since her original graduation collection. According to Elizabeth King, vice president of digital solutions, community and eco-system at Gerber Technology, "We are excited to help Danit bring 3D printed garments to the market and be a part of this incredible journey...Our creative partnership has helped define a workflow in AccuMark 3D for the benefit of our customers who will transform the industry in the coming years."

As for the material that the jacket was printed with, Peleg made use of a flexible filament produced by Spanish 3D printing company Filaflex. The company are now also testing out the idea of developing a 3D printing farm specifically for fashion design and garment production.

"I feel like in order to push technology, you have to do things," Peleg says. "We've been stuck to small production of one-of-a-kind runway clothes and I feel we should change it in 2017." Her vision for the future of her business is a social, collaborative platform, one that might enable users to purchase designs and to print their own clothes.  "For a young designer, that could be an amazing platform," she says. "Imagine a viral jacket or viral T-shirt. That could happen on this platform."

 

 

Posted in 3D Printing Application

 

 

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