If you were captivated by Israeli designer Danit Peleg’s 3D-printed dress worn by double-amputee snowboarder Amy Purdy for her samba solo at the Rio 2016 Paralympics Opening Ceremony, you weren’t alone.
Peleg got so much attention for her creation that she decided to push the envelope and take the first step toward making 3D clothing accessible to the masses.
She’s starting with a limited-edition wearable bomber jacket that 100 customers can order online for $1,500.
“It’s no secret that due to technological constraints, 3D-printed clothes have been the domain of unique, oftentimes one-off, items reserved only for runways. Printing time and material constraints make printing clothes an expensive endeavor, hampering attempts at mass production,” said Peleg, 29.
“But in order to push innovation forward, we must sometimes do things that are barely possible. This is why I am launching the first online platform to purchase 3D-printed clothes.”
Customers can pick the colors of the jacket, and the text that’s printed on it, as well as use a special app to hold a virtual fitting session to get their jacket fitted perfectly. The parts are printed in Spain using FilaFlex by Recreus, then assembled and shipped from Tel Aviv.
“3D printing technology enables us to make every piece unique so the jacket is fully customized and personalized, made on demand for every customer. The jacket’s exterior is completely 3D printed and it also has a (non-printed) silky lining for comfort,” says Peleg.
For her graduate project at Shenkar College of Engineering and Design in 2015, she made history by designing and 3D-printing an entire ready-to-wear fashion collection. She has since made a TED Talk and has been featured in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.