From haute couture to high street, 3D printing could revolutionise what we wear and how we shop.
It means consumers can order an outfit on their way home to find it freshly printed out and ready to wear when they open the front door.
As of now 3D-printed jewelry and spectacle frames are increasingly commonplace, and the technology has been used in shoe and bag design. The lightweight materials available in the 3D printing world have allowed designers to push the boundaries of volume and dimension to create previously unrealistic designs.
Until now, couture clothes have been unique pieces, painstakingly designed and crafted by highly-skilled artists to fit the wearer’s form exactly. The nature of couture production meant that it was the exclusive purview of the rich and famous.
However, 3D printing is on track to democratise the world of couture. There may come a time when domestic 3D printers will be sophisticated enough for consumers to scan their own bodies, send their measurements to online retailers and instantly download the blueprint for their chosen outfit, fitted exactly to their body, to print out at home.
Even in the last three years, there has been a marked improvement in the functionality of 3D textiles, from garments initially resembling body armor to the development of more flexible textiles.
