Design studio Nervous System uses 3D printing technology to create unique accessories, jewellery and art inspired by patterns found in nature. Their latest work is the Kincematic Petals Dress commissioned by the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston for their #techstyle exhibition.
The exhibition explores the synergy between fashion and technology and takes a close look at how its not only changing the way designers work but also the way how people interact with their clothing.
The stunning red Petals Dress composes of over 1600 unique pieces that are interconnected by more than 2600 hinges. It was 3D printed in nylon in one whole piece using Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) technology. In order to be able to 3D print the garment in on piece, Nervous System employs a smart folding strategy to compress the dress into a smaller form for production.
“By folding the garments prior to printing them, we can make complex structures larger than a 3D printer, that unfold into their intended shape.”
Based on a 3D scan of the wearer’s body and inspired by petals, feathers and scales, the dress can be individually customised by adjusting direction, length and shape of the different elements.
“Petals protrude from the underlying framework of tessellated triangular panels, sheathing the body in a directional landscape of overlapping plumes. Each interlocking component of the dress is rigid, but, in aggregate, they behave as a continuous textile.”
Nervous System, founded by MIT graduates Jessica Rosenkranz and Jesse Louis-Rosenberg in 2007, has developed a new design software and simulation tools for their latest creation, as the overlapping petal design needed a new way of compressing the dress for 3D printing.
Take a closer look at the dress in motion in the videos below:
The following video explains the design process in greater detail:
The #techstyle exhibition at MFA Boston runs from March 6 through July 10, 2016.
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