3D Printing in Fashion Fabrics & Design for Textiles

The fashion industry uses AI to inspire us to design innovative fashion clothes, patterns and fabric, so it shouldn’t be surprising that we’re finally embracing 3D Printing, too. Why not? Sneaker brands Nike and Puma have been doing this for a while, creating high-tech design structures that seem as if they were manufactured in outer space (more about this below), so why shouldn’t we create fashion garments with the same approach?

Here, we discover the printing machines used to produce fashion-forward designs that are awe-inspiring and extraordinary as well as the fashion designers and manufacturing companies in the industry embracing this technology and inspired to go that extra mile, and the impact this is having on the future of the fashion industry.

What is 3D Printing on Material?

To print a 3D item, CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software is required. The print process involves ‘slicing’ the item to be printed into thin horizontal layers to form a digital file that the printer can read. Those layers are then combined one by one to create a 3D object. Once those layers are solidified, the 3D object is complete.

These layers can be made from various substances, including ceramics, composites (a combination of different materials), metals and polymers (plastics).

One of the companies involved in 3D printing is US/Israeli technology company Polygiene. They say that “this printing technology allows for incredibly intricate design, enabling brands to add  elaborate decorative embellishments and performance-enhancing features.” 

Polygiene discusses 3D Fashion Technology, which they call 3DFashion™, as “a 3D printing technology revolutionising the fashion industry” that “allows direct-to-textile 3D printing in full colour and clear print, enabling the creation of spectacular design structures and fantastic optical illusionary effects on garments, footwear and luxury accessories”.

The brand believes it represents the future of the fashion industry. “We predict that the latest innovations in 3D printing will change the way we dress. No longer bound by traditional limitations on what our clothes look like or how they fit, these advancements have given rise to a new generation of fashion designers who care about being sustainable, and consumers eager for something customisable to keep things fresh and renewable.”

Innovation in Fashion Design Fabric 

The first fashion additive manufacturing sector to embrace 3D printing was the footwear industry. This is not surprising, as sneakers have become a fashion-forward section of designer wear, led by global brands such as Adidas, Puma, New Balance and Nike. Their designers aren’t afraid to take chances and produce high-tech items that not only look as if we could wear them in space but also boast technologically inspired attributes that make them improve our exercise regime and posture while also dispelling odour and embracing sensitive skin. They are also extremely fashion-forward, with space-age designs and creative colour combinations.

Artificial Intelligence is used to transform these designs into new-age versions of sports footwear, which are created using 3D printing technology. The process features specialised software to design and then 3D print parts of the sneakers. 3D printing technology lets designers experiment with the sneaker designs, the textures of the fabric used, and how these shoes function to make exercising and everyday life as comfortable and fashionable as possible.

The 3D Printing Sneaker Revolution

Earlier this year Puma collaborated with a French designer, Louis-Gabriel Nouchi to create the brand’s stellar Mostro sneaker. Puma used a 3D printing service for their latest offering, a slip-on sneaker with no laces and Puma’s “anatomical sole and distinctive spike design”. It is available in a variety of colourways, including pink, blue, lavender, black and bone white. 

Nike’s iconic Flyknit line of sneakers was worn in the 2016 Olympics. Since then, this sneaker range created with 3D printing has been perfected to include sneakers designed specifically for running, basketball and football. Currently, this sneaker weighs 11g less than it used to, is more breathable and doesn’t retain water at all. 

Another frontrunner in the sneaker industry is Adidas, whose futuristic 4D Futurecraft Running Shoes provide a ‘supportive custom fit’, 4D midsole with “precisely coded performance zones” to conquer “unpredictable” terrain like “city streets” and a rubber outsole with “extraordinary traction in wet and dry conditions”. And that’s just a taste of 3D printing on textile for the activewear industry!

Earlier this year Puma collaborated with a French designer, Louis-Gabriel Nouchi to create the brand’s stellar Mostro sneaker. Puma used a 3D printing service for their latest offering, a slip-on sneaker with no laces and Puma’s “anatomical sole and distinctive spike design”. It is available in a variety of colourways, including pink, blue, lavender, black and bone white. 

Nike’s iconic Flyknit line of sneakers was worn in the 2016 Olympics. Since then, this sneaker range created with 3D printing has been perfected to include sneakers designed specifically for running, basketball and football. Currently, this sneaker weighs 11g less than it used to, is more breathable and doesn’t retain water at all. 

Fabulous Future Fashion with 3D Printing Technology

The fashion industry is changing rapidly to keep up with technology. Everything we do, from designing to additive manufacturing, marketing and selling, is different now. The fabrics we use to create fashion garments and accessories are designed with AI and then printed using 3D printing technology, and many components used to create fashion items are also made using 3D printing. This method is known as additive manufacturing, which involves building 3D objects by adding components layer by layer, as we described above. As 3D printing becomes essential for designing and producing fashion garments, we can only imagine what the future holds.

LCI Barcelona School of Design and Visual Arts teaches how to combine technology and creativity to create unique masterpieces. According to the School’s Head of Fashion, Estel Vilaseca, “3D fashion will allow 3D printing clothes at home in the future. Although there is still a long way to go, it is a scenario that will be real…” The study of a 3D printing service and 3D fashion modelling in the School’s Degree in Fashion Design and the Master’s in Design of Footwear, Bags and Leather Goods Collection, also includes studying digital manufacturing using a 3D printing service, 3D modelling and more.

Textile Sustainability Takes Centre Stage in Fashion

Aside from global schools providing training in updated technology, there is another aspect of the fashion and fabric design and manufacturing industry that is taking centre stage. Sustainability and waste are one of the most important aspects of using new technology in the fashion industry, and 3D printing technology is currently being used to boost a greener fashion environment. Research is underway to find new ways of reducing fabric waste, using more sustainable fibers, filament and textiles and recycling fashion clothes. 3D printing technology using recyclable, biodegradable fabrics will is on its way, hopefully creating more circularity in the fashion industry. 

Read our blog on Creating Sustainable Fabric from Waste for valuable data on how the UK addresses being sustainable in textile fabric.

We also compiled a fascinating read on Fabric Sustainability regarding synthetic fabrics. Take a look!

Personalising Fashion Clothing & Design with 3D Printing

We must pay a lot for the privilege, but manufacturers can already use a 3D printing service to personalise garments. Currently, they use additive manufacturing for designing and 3D printing fashion clothes using technology to personalise them to a customer’s specifications, including body measurements and preferences.

 This may hopefully decrease the amount of excess fashion clothing produced, a huge problem in the fast fashion industry. Using AI in fashion design and manufacturing, we can forecast fashion trends and the capacity required to meet a trend, which may eliminate the need for mass production.

For more inspiration, read our thoughts on The Global Fashion Industry Glut and how to combat it.

Creativity & Technology Using 3D Printing

Couture fashion has also embraced the 3D printer, which was already visible in French fashion designer Balenciaga’s 2023/2024 Fall/Winter Haute Couture fashion show. The design house created a dress that resembled armour, using an innovative 3D printing technology with “galvanised resin and polished in chrome”. Aside from being a major technological feat, the dress revealed how Balenciaga had combined technology and luxury haute couture design.

Read the fascinating guide we compiled on Smart Clothing & Fabric for Sports, Health & Fashion Garments.

3D Printing Feedback From the London College of Fashion

3D printing organisation Laser Lines published an article on inspiring the next generation of fashion designers using the 3D printer service and processes. While researching data for the blog, they visited the London College of Fashion to hear what Senior Lecturer, Dr Minigjing Lin, thought about 3D printing technology being used in the fashion industry and fabric industries.

“For the past decade, I have been dedicated to educating fashion and textiles professionals and young people about 3D printing technology and 3D modelling techniques,” she said. We are already seeing innovative design results as these fashion designers and textiles designers start to embrace 3D printing into their fashion and textile projects.”

The blog discusses some “exciting examples of how 3D printing has been used in fashion”. These include “new art forms and fabric experimentation with 3D printing on net and suede leather textiles.”

The company mentions that it collaborates with London and UK-based fashion designers and “the list looks set to grow further as 3D printing becomes a mainstay in fashion design”. It also discusses textile 3D printing developments in “retail, interior design and with luxury car brands”, with an example being 2024 Milan Design Week, where Maserati displayed the GranTurismo Folgore, whose car seats were printed on a printer using Econyl fabric using 3D printing technology.