You’d be amazed at how inspiring it can be to write about the 3D printing industry. As one innovation after another floods in, each usually relevant to a different industry, it’s like having a continual—and completely fascinating—mini-education in every field, from medicine to space travel. And while nothing could be more uplifting than ending the day writing about conjoined twins who are successfully separated after receiving an original, dire prognosis or adaptive athletes competing in events like the Paralympics, performing against all odds, sometimes it’s great just to take a breather and soak in some incredible fashion designs. This is a favorite subject for many of us in regards to 3D printing, as we get to see that merging of true art, design, and technology—all generally resulting in very pretty things.
What’s even more exciting is that when fabricated apparel is coming down the runway from Nervous System, you know we’re surpassing the world of 3D, and lingering in the next dimension for a while as their intuitive apparel adapts completely to the human form. And while I’m not sure what the men will think, if you are female and reading this, you’ll probably have one thing to say about the new Kinematics Petal Dress: I want one.
Commissioned for design by the Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences in Sydney, Australia, the Nervous System team made this second Petal Dress for the Out of Hand: Materializing the Digital exhibit, running from September 3, 2016 ’til June 25, 2017. And unfortunately, unless they begin making copies for the masses, you won’t see this dress hanging in anyone’s closet as it is to become part of the museum’s permanent collection after the exhibit, which offers a focus on “the increasingly important role of digital manufacture in contemporary art, science, fashion, design and architecture.”
We’ve enjoyed following Nervous System since they unveiled their Kinematics cloth material, 4D printing a dress which consists of 2,279 unique triangular panels interconnected by 3,316 individual hinges. That particular design is now owned by the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Since, we’ve seen a long line of projects and designs emanating out of the Somerville, Massachusetts studio, from more 4D dresses to bio-inspired 3D printables and even 3D printed jewelry. We also reported on the predecessor to this dress, the first Kinematics Petal Dress in what now seems to be a series—with the initial design commissioned for a Boston Museum of Fine Arts show.
This incredible garment features 2,191 unique interconnected elements, meant to remind one of ‘overlapping plumes.’ Created with an SLS 3D printer, this nylon dress is actually made in one piece, giving a whole new meaning to ready wear! While each piece is rigid, according to the designers, when connected as a whole, the dress is able to move fluidly as one continual—and lovely—whole.
“We employ a smart folding strategy to compress Kinematics garments into a smaller form for efficient fabrication. By folding the garments prior to printing them, we can make complex structures larger than a 3D printer, that unfold into their intended shape,” states the Nervous System design team.
To get a true feel for the beauty of this dress, check out the video below. The Nervous System team worked with the dancer Fhi B-Ado and photographer Steve Marsel to bring you some beautiful images of this latest Kinematics Petal Dress. You can find out more about Nervous System’s design projects here. Discuss this topic further in the 3D Printed Kinematics Petal Dress forum over at 3DPB.com.
[Source / Images: Nervous System]Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.
You May Also Like
3D Printing Unpeeled: Biofuel Waste to Filament & Sustainable Photopolymers
I can’t ever remember a day with so many potentially high impact news stories have come out. In one story, we all know that there are problems with the safety...
Finnair Hires AM Craft to 3D Print Plastic Parts for Aircraft Interiors
Riga-based AM Craft, a supplier specialized in 3D printing aviation components and certified under EASA Part 21G, announced a significant achievement today. The company will assist in upgrading Finnair’s A320...
3DPOD Episode 198: High Speed Sintering with Neil Hopkinson, VP of AM at Stratasys
Neil Hopkinson, a pioneering 3D printing researcher, played a pivotal role in developing a body of research that is widely utilized today. He also invented High Speed Sintering (HSS), also...
3D Printing Webinar and Event Roundup: May 12, 2024
Webinars and events are picking up in the AM industry this week! ASTM International continues its Professional Certificate Course and Stratasys continues its advanced in-person trainings, while 3D Systems is...