3D-printed dress for Dita Von Teese. New York designer Michael Schmidt and architect Francis Bitonti have created a 3D-printed dress for burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese.
Images above and top by Albert Sanchez. Designed by Schmidt and generated by Bitonti, the floor-length nylon gown was made using selective laser sintering (SLS), where material is built up in layers from plastic powder fused together with a laser. The rigid plastic components are fully articulated to create a netted structure that allows for movement. Spirals based on the Golden Ratio were applied to a computer rendering of Von Teese's body so the garment fits her exactly. Draped over a nude silk corset, the black-lacquered dress is cinched in at the waist and exaggerated at the shoulders, and embellished with 12,000 Swarovski crystals. Other 3D-printed fashion we've featured includes Iris van Herpen's outfits shown at Paris Fashion Week.
Photos are by Jeff Meltz unless otherwise stated. See all our stories about 3D printing »See all our stories about fashion » Road-ready 3D-printed car on the way. News: a fuel-efficient 3D-printed car is set to hit the road in two years, according to its US-based manufacturer RedEye On Demand.
The three-wheeled, two-passenger vehicle comprises 40 large 3D-printed thermoplastic parts, compared to the hundreds of parts found in a normal car. The URBEE 2 is being developed by RedEye On Demand and its parent company, 3D printer maker Stratasys, in collaboration with KOR EcoLogic. So far in its development, 3D printing has largely been used to produce unique or customisable items in single editions or small runs, but the arrival of the URBEE 2 suggests it could also be applied to mass production on a huge scale. "A future where 3D printers build cars may not be far off after all," said Jim Bartel, vice president of RedEye On Demand. "URBEE 2 shows the manufacturing world that anything really is possible.
Once it's road-ready, the designers plan to drive URBEE 2 from San Francisco to New York on just 45 litres (10 gallons) of biofuel such as ethanol. Stratigraphic Manufactury by Unfold at Istanbul Design Week. Istanbul Design Biennial: this project by Antwerp design studio Unfold explores how 3D-printed objects created from identical digital files can be as varied and unique as hand-made objects (+ movie + slideshow).
Above: objects produced by Unfold. Photograph by Kristof Vrancken Called Stratigraphic Manufactury, the project involved designing a range of bowls and vases on a computer and sending the digital files to small-scale producers around the world, who then manufactured them in porcelain using open-source 3D printers. Above: objects produced by Unfold "We sent out seven of our designs," said Dries Verbruggen of Unfold. Above: objects produced by Eran Gal-Or The resulting objects, which vary according to the type and consistency of porcelain used and the accuracy of the printer, are on show at the Adhocracy exhibition at the inaugural Istanbul Design Biennial. Above: objects produced by Jonathan Keep Above: object produced by Unfold. Rapid prototyping Google Glass - Tom Chi. ICFF becomes first major design fair placing 3D printing to the fore. News: next month's International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York will be the first major design fair to place 3D printing and digital fabrication at the core of its programme, with a four-day series of workshops introducing the hardware and software that could change the face of design, manufacturing and distribution (+ interview).
DesignX, which takes place from 18 to 21 May alongside ICFF, will comprise 15 one and two-hour workshops on topics including 3D printing, online product customisation, parametric design and even 4D printing – the nascent technology of programming materials capable of self-assembly. "At [...] these trade shows, you typically have a very large audience who attend over multiple days," explains Ronnie Parsons, a 3D printing expert from New York studio Mode Collective, who will lead the event's 3D printing workshops with design partner Gil Akos. Attendees can sign up for any number of workshops individually, but must already be registered to attend ICFF.