3D-printed fashion hits catwalk

'We will soon all be printing our own clothes from home' predicts 3D clothes designer

A fashion designer whose latest catwalk collection was made entirely using 3D printers has predicted we will soon all be printing our own clothes from our homes.

3D printing, a market that doubled in size in Q1 according to one analyst, is already being used for as diverse applications as printing human organs, food, and new limbs for injured animals.

But the technology will soon become mainstream in fashion, according to Danit Peleg, who recently exhibited what she claims is the first 3D-printed fashion collection printed entirely using home printers.

Made using FilaFlex filament and Witbox home printers, Peleg's five-piece collection took more than 2,000 hours to print, or about 400 hours per outfit.

Peleg, who knew nothing of 3D printing when she embarked on her project for Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, says nine months of R&D was needed to get started. Having discovered that the PLA material many 3D printers use was too fragile for her purposes, her breakthrough came when she was introduced to FilaFlex – a new kind of filament that she described as being strong yet flexible – and the Witbox printer.

Peleg said it had been the most interesting year of her life.

"I really enjoyed the fact that I could create without intermediaries; I could design my own textiles and manufacture my own clothes, all from my own home," she said. "I didn't have to go buy cloth that someone else chose to sell – I could make my own."

She added: "I think this is just the beginning. As technologies evolve, we will soon all be printing our own clothes at home."