[3D Printing News] 3D printing adds a finishing touch to Miss South Africa's fashion.

3D printing adds a finishing touch to Miss South Africa's fashion.

For fashion designers, all competitions related to aesthetics are crucial; especially in beauty pageants, where contestants' attire indirectly influences success or failure. This is an example of how SLS 3D printing technology helped Ciska Barnard (swimwear designer for the Bambshell® clothing brand) create unique accessories, enabling Miss South Africa to advance to the next round.

Bambshel® is an exclusive swimwear brand founded by Melinda Bam, who was also crowned Miss South Africa in 2011.

"The contestants fully expressed the beauty of Africa, showcasing vibrant culture, the colors of African festivals, and bold, striking contrasting prints; each print was custom-made for the theme, combining ethnic, tribal, and modern fashion styles, and complementing the smooth curves of the swimsuits," said Melinda Bam.



The 3D prints created using the Sinterit Lisa 3D printer are incredibly soft and comfortable to wear. As swimwear accessories, they must feel as supple and lightweight as a second skin. Thanks to technology, the TPU (tight PU) material in Flexa Black achieves a smooth and comfortable surface.



How did this begin?

Fashion has always been intertwined with technology, allowing it to expand and develop. Humans began weaving 20,000 years ago, a process that remained extremely time-consuming and handcrafted until the 19th century; this explains why 18th-century women typically owned only a few garments—often no more than two dresses. The invention of the loom completely transformed the future and drastically reduced production time. However, the structure of textiles remained largely unchanged for 150 years until after World War II, when international trade conflicts between Asia and the United States created raw material shortages, leading to the rise of innovative synthetic materials in the 1980s. Now, however, we are focusing on returning to nature and using sustainable materials.
Designers are committed to using the best fabrics, but sometimes they are limited by the characteristics of the materials; for example, some shapes cannot be formed by natural textures, and 3D printing is the best solution.

From bespoke clothing to ready-to-wear.

Regarding the application of 3D printing in fashion, we still focus on many external demands, such as haute couture; however, it's less common in ready-to-wear. Why? For many years, technological limitations have hindered designers from using this technology more widely. In FDM 3D printing, the most common and cheapest materials are very rigid; even flexible elastic materials aren't like fabric, which is why garments made from them look somewhat like armor. On the other hand, SLS technology, capable of printing on flexible materials, was still too expensive even for pilot printing; however, everything changed after the SLS patent expired in 2014, and the first desktop 3D printer appeared on the market. Thanks to devices like the Sinterit Lisa , it's now possible to print delicate items attached to swimwear.

Fashion requires flexibility.

“Most customers opt for rigid materials like PA12, which has become the norm in many industries; however, the fashion industry needs more flexible solutions,” says Konrad Głowacki, one of the co-founders of Sinterit. “However, finding a flexible yet strong material is not easy; it must perfectly complement fashion and be used in 3D printers. For the past few years, only a few believed that SLS technology could be offered to every company's desktop 3D printer, but now we are expanding our offerings to include a wider range of materials. After several months of testing, we are pleased to offer two reliable products: Flexa Black and Flexa Gray,” Głowacki emphasizes.

The New Era Has Arrived

Since the Chanel era, the work field of fashion designers has not changed much. As a result, emerging materials such as 3D design are becoming increasingly popular, and top universities are adding new digital courses such as basic CAD/CAM or 3D design and printing, which will be further developed in the future.

Twenty years ago, no one imagined that people would buy and download music files online, rather than buying CDs in video stores; and in the not-too-distant future, the same shift will sweep through the fashion industry, if not the whole thing, then at least accessories.
This project was made possible thanks to Build Volume, a company that brings 3D printing to the masses; and undoubtedly, some of the key components are related to South Africa.



"Thanks to the rapid development of 3D printing, 3D scanning , and modeling software, 3D printing is becoming increasingly appealing and affordable for individual business owners. With 3D printing, anything is possible," says Don Vermeulen, CEO of Build Volume and a user of this line of printing accessories.
Customized 3D printing products have provided his company with stable growth.
Now, thanks to the commercial-sized Sinterit Lisa , we can use advanced laser sintering technology at a reasonable price; SLS can print parts in almost any shape, whether made of hard or flexible materials. The company has extensive experience in other areas and recently launched the Sinterit Lisa Pro and updated 3D printing equipment.

About Sinterit

The first manufacturer of desktop laser sintering 3D printers, expanding into the global market with innovative SLS technology; focusing on convenience and practicality to quickly keep pace with the future. Founded in 2014 by former Google executives, the company provides reliable and accurate 3D printers to customers worldwide and has printed thousands of 3D products within three years.

We are happy to share all kinds of creations related to 3D printing, and this is undoubtedly a successful breakthrough project for Sinterit Lisa in different fields; if you want to learn more about related products, you can also get more information on our website.

Original link: https://www.sinterit.com/pressroom/becoming-miss-south-africa-with-3d-printed-fashion/