Materializing the Digital: A New Era of Transformable Fabrics

Valentina Favaro's 3D Printed Fabrics Revolutionize Urban Garments

Valentina Favaro's designs are a reflection of the digital age we inhabit, where virtual elements often overwhelm physical aspects of life. Her creations, inspired by the movements of the human body during various activities, aim to preserve the material world in an era of increasing virtuality. The designs embody movement in urban garments through the use of programmable materials, creating a new category of fabrics that adapt and react to the wearer's movements.

The unique properties of these designs lie in their ability to materialize movement, a concept that has both a conceptual and functional goal. The fabrics, made of stretchable materials like neoprene and jersey, react to the solid 3D printed matter on them, creating different shapes based on the printed texture. This process of printing on a stretched fabric results in adaptive, reactive garments when the fabric is released.

The creation of these designs involved a detailed study of body movements during activities like biking, running, and skating. Favaro used motion capture technology to trace these movements, which were then studied and translated into sketches. The fabrics were then stretched on a 3D printer and printed, allowing them to shrink into shapes once released. The final designs were sewn together due to the limited dimensions of the 3D printer plate.

The project, which began in January 2019 at Ravensbourne University and concluded in October 2019, faced challenges in terms of production possibilities. The question of how to produce the collection on a large scale remains open. However, Favaro's designs successfully combine a conceptual reflection on our time with a functional study of our bodies, embodying the movement in our urban garments.

Valentina Favaro's innovative approach to fashion design not only won her the Bronze A' Textile, Fabric, Textures, Patterns and Cloth Design Award in 2020 but also opened up a new path in the fashion industry. Her designs, which materialize movement and adapt to the wearer's body, offer a unique perspective on the relationship between the digital and the physical in our contemporary lifestyles.