“Desktop 3D Printers are among the most disruptive technologies we have ever seen. When you print things at home you are taking part in a revolution. You are democratizing manufacturing. Everyone with enough foresight to have purchased a 3D Printer—I congratulate you for your vision.”
— Francis Bitonti
Is Dita von Teese ready to walk in the shoes that match the dress? Francis Bitonti continues his art revolution with his uber-modern line of 3D printed shoes, just unveiled at the 3D Printshow held in London earlier this month. In a dynamic collaboration with Adobe, Bitonti will be using their 3D technology to design and produce Molecule, his line of 3D printed shoes. Designed for women and meant to be sold commercially, the 3D-printed shoes highlight the designer’s “disruptive manufacturing” skills and methods using digital renderings and specification.
3D printed shoes created by Bitonti, unveiled at the London 3D Printshow, September 2014.
According to Richard Curtis, 3D printing consultant at Adobe, “each shoe in the collection renders a different system with unique structural configuration supporting the body differently each time.”
While burlesque star Dita Von Teese, may have garnered spectacular attention upon her debut of the gown at the Ace Hotel in New York last year, it is Bitonti, the New York based architect-turned-designer, who is turning heads with his inimitable art that creates beauty using industrial mediums.
While 3D printing is already well entrenching itself in the art world, Bitonti, is blurring the lines altogether. He’s also bent on educating the world on the benefits and unlimited ideas to be explored with 3D printing—a process he’s been familiar with since 2007. He’s experienced in the industry, not a dabbling novice—and he experimented with a number of other design techniques before choosing 3D printing as his favorite process.
Since the time he discovered the process, 3D printing and material costs have been reduced substantially, deepening his commitment to the medium as it offers him the chance to design, control, and produce his designs affordably. The greatest benefit is that he can make customizations easily and affordably depending on client needs.
“My design process is a collaboration with artificial intelligence,” Bitonti explains. “We’re transposing these ideas from design methodologies to tangible consumer experiences.”
Bitonti is blurring the lines between fashion, art, and technology.
Francis Bitonti’s work has been published internationally in many prestigious institutions including the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum and most recently has garnered media coverage for the 3D-printed gown created for fashion icon Dita von Teese. The Francis Bitonti Studio will be releasing its first ever collection of luxury products in February next year. Each piece in the collection will be made to order, serialized, and made available exclusively in limited edition. Francis Bitonti currently lives in New York where he runs his design practice.
Are you a fan of Bitonti’s work? Would you wear shows like this? Fill us in at the Bitonti 3D printed shoe forum thread on 3DPB.com. Check out the video below showing some of Bitoni’s work: