ThreeASFOUR debuts 3D printed dress with Stratasys at NYFW

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Sep 15, 2016

3D printing and manufacturing solutions company Stratasys, fashion brand threeASFOUR and New York-based designer Travis Fitch debuted at NYFW an intricate 3D printed dress entitled ‘Oscillation’ at The Hole Gallery on Tuesday, September 13.

 
Oscillation is comprised of 30 individual and highly precise multi-color, multi-material 3D printed parts created via assembly of 270 unique design files. The 30 components were printed as flat, unwrapped patches that were later assembled on the dress. Each print was digitally split into nine layers of less than one millimeter in thickness, and each individual layer was assigned a particular mixture of color and flexibility for the overall effect. Nearly 300 separate design files were used to complete the landmark project. Oscillation is the centerpiece of threeASFOUR’s ‘Quantum Vibrations’ collection.
 
ThreeASFOUR designers Gabi Asfour, Angela Donhauser and Adi Gil produced other 3D printed dresses with Stratasys prior to Oscillation named ‘Pangolin’ and ‘Harmonograph’, and all three take inspiration from natural, biological forms.

“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,” explains Adi Gil, threeASFOUR. “The stellar parallax of the patterns, the way in which they transform as the viewing angle changes, is only possible through 3D printing.”
 
3D printed dresses may be far from the norm, but they have been seen on the runway on a number of occasions. Iris Van Herpen is one of the notable designers to dabble in 3D printed dresses, and was featured at the Manus x Machina spring exhibit at The Met in 2016.
 
“At Stratasys we are continually reflecting on aesthetic discoveries to help creative minds explore uncharted grounds in contemporary art and design that can be realized with our 3D printing technology,” comments Naomi Kaempfer, Creative Director, Stratasys. “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.”