Textile design builds on the interlacement of two juxtaposed notions: traditions and innovations. The former consists in keeping on experimenting with time-honored techniques such as weaving, knitting and crocheting. The latter looks at the future, at smart textiles, computational processes, digital matter and 3D printing.
In the previous post we looked at the latest collection by Laura Theiss that mainly includes crocheted dresses and separates inspired by traditional stitches.
Yet the designer has often experimented with futuristic techniques: she recently created for the D-house by Dyloan project, made in collaboration with the Bond Factory, a company specialised in thermowelding, taping, press bonding and laser cutting, hybrid designs that combine traditional yarns and a 3D printed technique.
Theiss' oversized hand-knitted sweater with thick three-dimensional braids inspired by Arran jumpers integrates 3D printed colorful spikes (reminiscent of the technique used by Julia Koerner as seen in a previous post) in a turquoise, purple and blue palette with metallic and reflective yarns hinting at robotics and mechanical processes. The skirt Theiss designed for this project is made with 3D printed elements joined by hand with the softest wool yarns.
This experimental multi-layered ensemble shows an abundance of influences, from art and architecture to technology and robotics, and expands the boundaries of knitwear, finding a new balance between handmade slow crafts and machine-made fast manufacturing processes.
While Theiss used longer 3D printed spikes, Katharina and Cissel Dubbick opted for rounder and smaller shapes for their design for this project, elements that, from a distance, look like dots or pixels.
The design duo studied body shapes and mapped the body temperature with a thermal imaging camera of the type used in the army.
The camera showed body heat in different shades of colour and they translated these differences into their bodysuit featuring a map of body areas defined by 3D printed elements in pale or dark yellow and orange (the final effect is similar to that achieved last year by Julia Koerner in her "Arid" collection, also made with Stratasys' Polyjet 3D printing technology).
Italian knitwear designer Vittorio Branchizio also did a piece for D-house by Dyloan: he created, in collaboration with designer Uroš Mihić, a 100% Merino wool fabric jacquard coat incorporating also thermosetting thread and characterised by a 4-colour three-dimensional effect on the back, a series of hollow cubes made using Stratasys 3D technology.
For the Dyloan project artist Matteo Cibic also came up with men and women's wear outfits made of pure Merino wool yarns, but he employed Stratasys' Polyjet 3D printing to create jewel-like applications chacterised by shapes inspired by the future and reminiscent of the motifs you may find in space uniforms.
Knitwear designer and programmer Oliver Hurdman employed Stratasys' Polyjet 3D printing technology as a construction method onto two knitted designs he made for the Dyloan project.
Hurdman wanted the printer to perform the traditionally applied or hand-constructed details and basically printed accessories directly onto the garment to create at the same time aesthetic and functional elements.
The most intriguing thing about these designs is that the 3D printing technique is seamlessly integrated into the garments to create appliqued motifs that are visually strong but that also have a strong tactile quality about them, a very important point that may lead to the creation of special pieces with medical purposes for patients needing this level of stimulation.
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