3D Printed fashion

Textile met with technology. Izmir University of Economics (IUE) Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, Department of Fashion and Textile Design created an outfit with 3D printing. The outfit, which was combined with LED and optical fiber components, was displayed at the International Technical Textiles Congress.

The project was co-coordinated by Asst. Prof. Arzu Vuruşkan, Lecturer at IUE Department of Fashion and Textile Design, and Prof. Ender Yazgan Bulgun, Dean of IUE Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, and Research Asst. Elif Tekcan designed and carried out the 3D modeling of the outfit. IUE Acting Rector Prof. Murat Aşkar and Mert Kalaycı, Graduate student from Electrical and Electronics Engineering program helped with illumination applications and combining them with the outfit.

Asst. Prof. Arzu Vuruşkan gave information about the design and she said that the 120 parts that made up the design were connected to each other via various methods. Prof. Vuruşkan said, “Some of the connection points were supported with optical fiber cables, which gave a new function to the optical fiber being used as an illumination component.”

Prof. Vuruşkan, who indicated that using new materials and technologies in clothes was perceived as the future of fashion design, said the following: “3D printing is unleashing a whole new wave of fashion. Combining new production techniques with traditional techniques result in designs that stretch imaginations. Therefore, we started designing outfits with 3D printers, which will become very important in the near future. This design is the first of a series to come. In addition to being designed with a 3D printer, this outfit was combined with electrical accessories. It is, in this sense, considered a first. We believe this design is very unique in terms of keeping up with the latest trends worldwide and using them in fashion design at a time when we discuss concepts such as "Industry 4.0", "IoT - the internet of things".”