Anthozoa Skirt & Cape

Anthozoa; Skirt and Cape, 2013

Design by Iris van Herpen and Neri Oxman

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In this 3D printed skirt and cape, the tradition of couture is reinterpreted as “tech-couture”, where delicate hand-made embroidery and needlework is replaced by code. Produced using Stratasys’ Objet500 Connex multi-material 3D Printer, both hard and soft materials were incorporated within the design, crucial to the movement and texture of the piece. The ability to vary softness and elasticity inspired the designers to create a “second skin” for the body acting as armor-in-motion; allowing them to design not only the garment’s form but also its motion.

Drawing inspiration from Neri Oxman’s ‘Imaginary Beings: Mythologies of the Not Yet’ collection, 3D printed by Stratasys, the joint venture was seen as an extension of the series. ‘Imaginary Beings’ is transported to the next level; ‘Wearable Beings’, myths that one can wear. The duo were inspired to design algorithms that could map physical movement and material behaviour to geometrical form