Stratasys and threeASFOUR Unveil 3D Printed Oscillation Dress at NYFW 2016

There are few events in the world of fashion that are as important as New York Fashion Week, a semi-annual event in New York City that features the latest work from some of the world’s most celebrated fashion designers. As we’ve certainly noticed during past NYFW events, it seems that every year proves that 3D printing technology is integrating with the world of fashion at a rapid rate, and more and more designers are deciding to implement 3D printing technology into their design process.

Earlier this week, we saw the world’s most famous disabled model, Shaholly Ayers, strut down the NYFW runway with a 3D printed bionic arm created by Limbitless Solutions. But as far as 3D printed dresses go, no group works together better than the 3D printing titan Stratasys, the design collective threeASFOUR, which is a transnational trio of designers, including Gabriel Asfour, Angela Donhauser, and Adi Gil, and New York City-based designer Travis Fitch, all of whom recently joined forces to 3D print flexible and geometrically complex math-inspired dresses for their Spring/Summer collection. This past week, Stratasys, threeASFOUR, and Fitch collaborated once again to create their most magnificent and eye-catching 3D printed garment yet: the Oscillation dress.

The Oscillation Dress, which is a part of threeASFOUR’s Quantum Vibrations Collection, was unveiled for the first time on September 13 at The Hole Gallery in New York City. The unique fashion piece is comprised of 30 individual multi-color, multi-material 3D printed parts, and was assembled together from 270 individual design files. Using Stratasys’ PolyJet 3D printing technology, the 30 components were initially printed as flat and unwrapped patches, and were later assembled directly to the body of the model.

“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,” said Gil. “The stellar parallax of the patterns, the way in which they transform as the viewing angle changes, is only possible through 3D printing.”

The 3D printed dress, which is the third official collaboration between Stratasys and threeASFOUR, was inspired by source energies and primal, universal vibrations. In fact, the entire design of the dress is based off of vibrational patterns and geometries. In order to achieve the complex color gradient that makes the Oscillation dress so aesthetically appealing, each print was digitally split into nine thin layers of less than one millimeter in thickness. These individual layers were then assigned a particular mixture of color and flexibility, printed, and assembled into the vibrant 3D printed dress displayed at NYFW 2016.

Previous garments created by this collaborative trio include the 3D printed ‘Pangolin’ and ‘Harmonograph’ dresses, both of which were included in the threeASFOUR Fall/Winter collection called “Biomimicry.” With the Oscillation dress, however, Stratasys and the fashion design collective have brought multi-color 3D printing to a whole new level. Stratasys, threeASFOUR, and Fitch have once again proved that 3D printing technology has an indisputable place in the future of fashion, their latest creation being the most intricate and creative thus far.

“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,” said Naomi Kaempfer, Creative Director at 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.”

Discuss further over in the 3D Printed Oscillation Dress forum at 3DPB.com.