Designers have begun experimenting with 3D printed pieces of clothing while exploring a new philosophy of sustainable fashion. You know what that means? You can very soon download your own dress.
Today the fashion industry is the third largest consumer of water, slightly behind oil and corporate paper. An ongoing environmental threat and incredibly damaging.
So what’s being done? The 3D printing box.
3D eliminates waste. 3D printing eliminated transport, packaging, material, all of which require fuel, natural resource. No need to cut fabric by meter, instead, print and ready to wear. No more scissors, threads and needles perhaps.
3D printing is not entirely new to the fashion industry, as jewelry designers have for years outsourced quick modeling jobs to printing companies.
Just like the music, you will soon be able to download and print your favorite dress at home. Imagine how that would reduce the global gas bill.
Printers are getting closer to producing good fabric-like materials, using interlocking structures to create weaves and stitches.
One of the most promising design houses, XYZ Workshop, was able to make a 100% desktop printed dress using flexible PLA for around $100 in materials (assuming you already own a 3D printer). That’s a price tag most people can handle. The kicker? The dress looks amazing and totally wearable. Oh, they also released detailed step by step instructions so people can make their own saying, “In order for us as a community to advance 3D printable fashion, we believe we can help stimulate and encourage experimentation by publicly providing the design files.” Classy move guys.
The future is coming. 3D printing will save the planet!
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