Camilo Alvarez
Leaf-like accessory top created using Stratasys multi-material 3D printing.Industry-leading 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys is proud to reveal its technology has been instrumental in one designer's reinvention of a line of accessories.
Leading Colombian fashion designer Camilo Alvarez produces his Botanicracia Spring/Summer 2014 collection using Stratasys 3D printing technology, with the collection launching at Colombiamoda 2013 in Medellin, bringing the 3D printing process to the catwalk.
Alvarez draws his inspiration from the coexistence of nature and urban technology, as well as the 3D-printed creations now appearing on the fashion scenes in France, Japan and the US. Therefore, the designer wished to create unique accessories for both men and women, with this range including caps, glasses, toecaps, bracelets and dresses that incorporate a central plastic structure and knits.
The accessories collection was brought to life with the help of authorized Stratasys reseller USM Colombia SA, using an Objet260 Connex and Objet500 Connex multi-material 3D printer. The ability to produce builds with multiple materials with different physical properties was the most important criteria for Alvarez when selecting the 3D printers for his project. This requirement is also evident in the work of his peers Iris van Herpen and Rem D Koolhaas from the Netherlands, Yuima Nakazato from Japan and professor and architect Neri Oxman.
Using Stratasys' 3D printers, Alvarez was able to incorporate complex geometric design practices and techniques in his work and prototype the final results for instant verification.
The designer stated: "People who attended the show and those who came closer to see the products were amazed; many of them had never imagined that fashion objects and accessories could be 3D printed."
General Manager for Latin America, Stratasys, Gal Barak added: "Thanks to its ease of use and its ability to make the design process quicker, more agile and increasingly creative, Stratasys 3D printing has not only revolutionised the fashion design market but has also entered many other industries in Latin America."
