Digital Fashion-3D Printing for Designers

Introduction

This open-to-public event is intended to provide a supportive forum for RCA students, external designers as well as entrepreneurs, educate audiences with the newest 3D printing innovations and push critical thinking on 3D-printing fashion. It is the chance for pitching ideas, inspiring others and promoting products. Each speaker will give a 30-min in-depth speech and there will be a panel discussion (45-60 minutes) in the end.

3D Printing is no longer a fresh name for the world. The past 5 years have witnessed many inspiring ideas of this cutting-edge technology, from product design to fashion design, from medical research to material development. According to Peter Wray, “ It is not much of an exaggeration to say that almost anyone can access AM system that can make parts of nearly any shape imaginable, layer by layer, from a stable of materials that includes some ceramics.” Along with this phenomenon, hundreds of 3D printing services, designers and start-ups sprang up.

As Fashion is always considered as an efficient way to show current trends by using up-to-date technology, lots of designers have been endeavouring to express themselves via 3D printing. The Fashion industry seems to go crazy for it. However, taking into consideration the fundamental role of fashion, will 3D printing effectively change our lives; what are the pros and cons 3D printed fashion facing; which perspective is the most effective way to tackle the problems, material, structure, fabrication or application; how designers and customers could benefit from it for more practical uses in the near future; where companies and start-ups see the opportunities among the latest innovations? And fundamentally, do we really need 3D printing for Fashion?