Three-dimensional printing has changed the way we make everything from prosthetic limbs to aircraft parts and even homes.
Now it may be poised to upend the apparel industry as well.
Fashion designers have already unveiled shoes and clothing made via 3D printing, in which plastic material is deposited layer upon layer to create a three-dimensional structure. In one recent example, Dutch designer Iris van Herpen showed off a 3D-printed dress at last month’s Paris Fashion Week.
3D printing won’t replace weaving, knitting, and other conventional means of apparel manufacturing anytime soon, given its high cost and how difficult it is to make durable 3D-printed “fabrics” that are soft to the touch and which drape like traditional fabrics.
Read more: 3D print clothing in your own home