3D printed fashion is hitting the runways and could soon be worn in our everyday lives; what’s the benefit of this technology for designers?

Irina Tosheva is a fashion designer from Macedonia who has taken her craft to the next level, using 3D printing technology to fabricate elements for her latest creations.

Her impressive 3D printed collection, called Riza, was showcased in Macedonia as well as being presented at a catwalk in April in Kosovo’s capital, Pristina.

For her SS16 collection, she worked with a Macedonian 3D printing service provider, MK3D, and her pieces were printed using a Zortrax M200.

For Tosheva, the benefits of adopting this technology is the flexibility to diversify her projects. Plus with 3D printing, elements which often used to take weeks to create could be made in a fraction of the time.

Her projects are strongly influenced by Balkan traditions, and they were decorated and paired with accessories and jewelry which were created entirely using 3D printing technology.

3D Printed Fashion is, er, Fashionable

For Tosheva’s collection to be printed, the entire process took around 200 hours, during which almost 2kg of Zortrax Z-ULTRAT filament was used.

The designer used a selection of Pastels, Neons and Nautrals in order to access an entire pallet of colors with which to create her fashion accessories and ornaments.

Currently, 3D printing means that designers and makers can create intricate and unusual decorations or accessories that couldn’t easily be made in any other way.

This allows for freedom to create interesting additions and elements from jewelry to dresses at a low cost, meaning students or even beginners workshops can start working with new materials.

In addition to Tosheva, other pioneers in the field include Iris van Herpen, Nervous Systems, Melissa Ng and Anouk Wipprecht. 

Whether you prefer fairytale armor, geometric shapes, scary spiders or something stitched on while you take a nap, there is definitely a 3D printed look for you.