Multi-material fashion range made using 3D printer

The creation of South African designer and engineer Michaella Janse van Vuuren, the Garden of Eden collection includes a ‘Stained Glass’ corset, ‘Classic Serpent’ shoes and belt and a range of ‘Fish-in-Coral’ bracelets. The pieces were fabricated using Stratasys‘s new Objet500 Connex3 3D Printer.

“The ability to combine rigid and flexible materials in one piece is something that is so rare, and introducing color into the process inspires us creatives to think in a whole new way,” said van Vuuren.

The range was inspired by the biblical tale of the Garden of Eden, with the garments depicting various elements of the story.

The Stained Glass Corset, which features the flowers and berries of the forbidden tree, comprises three different PolyJet digital materials varying in flexibility and opacity, from the rigid transparent panes to soft colored parts. The mix is being billed as a world first for 3D printing technology.

Also featured in the collection are multiple pairs of 3D printed shoes, each combining rigid parts for the support structure, rubber-like elements for flexibility, and color for aesthetics. The experimental bracelets, which harness two different approaches to bending rigid mechanical interlocking parts, complete the collection.

“I have only scratched the surface of the possibilities with the Objet500 Connex3 3D Printer,” concludes van Vuuren. “The ability to include different material properties and beautiful jewel like colors in a single print run is absolutely ground-breaking.”

Janse van Vuuren is a South African designer known for her sculptures. In 2012, she was named as the Absolut VISI Designer of the year in the emerging designer category.