Malaysia hosts Asia's first 3D Printed Fashion Show

The theme of the night was “Birds.” An avid lover of nature and the environment, Melinda Looi professes to have always been inspired by these beautiful, flighty creatures that are an amazing engineering feat by Mother Nature herself.

“The designer sent a collection of five avian-inspired creations down the runway – Face It (headgear), Stand on Me (wedges), Her Love and Strength (necklace), Let Her Shine (skirt), and Open Wings (cape). Models presented Melinda’s creations in nude bodysuits, with equally minimalistic hair and makeup so as not to distract from the fascinating details and mechanisms of each outfit.

Each piece took months to design, create, and convert into a 3D file, which was then sent to Belgium to be printed at the Materialise headquarters. “The design process has been a real eye-opener and highly educational experience for me.” The entire collection took a team of six to eight people to bring to life, including three 3D modellers, two engineers and Melinda’s own team of course.

“This project was challenging because it involved co-ordinating efforts and technical expertise. On the other hand, it was also great fun to be able to work with such an innovative technology.

“Creating fashion with technology has always been something I wanted to do, so when Materialise approached me with this opportunity, it was like a dream come true! The collaborative effort involving people from different fields and backgrounds truly reminded me that exciting and beautiful things happen when art and technology meet! It is truly a great honour to be the first Asian fashion designer to design a collection using AM technology,” said Melinda.

In addition to designing Asia’s first 3D printed fashion collection, Melinda also co-judged a 3D Printed Accessory Design Contest organized by Materialise.

The contest received entries from around the world, offering designers an opportunity to work with a technology capable of bringing one’s wildest creative visions to life. 10 winning designs were selected to be 3D printed and exhibited at the 3D Print Fashion.

The designs will also be featured on the i.materialise online gallery and shared with the rest of the world. A few exquisite and exceptional designs may also get the opportunity to be showcased in the .MGX showroom in Belgium.

“We are committed to accelerating the implementation of AM technology in Asia, particularly Malaysia and believe that our collaboration with Melinda Looi will help make AM more accessible to everyday people, break traditional product design barriers and inspire any industry to apply AM in developing unique and individual designs,” said Michiels, CEO of Materialise Malaysia.

Mellooi Creation Sdn. Bhd.