Tuesday evening I attended a presentation by Lectra in which they provided insight into the universe of 3D imagery, particularly in the world of apparel. The recent Manus and Machina exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art revealed just how far this technology has come. So did my dentist last week, when he scanned my teeth to take a 3D image of the impression for the lab creating a crown. Done and done. No mess in my mouth. True, the entire 3D process is still at its infancy in Intimate Apparel, but so was digital printing when I first began lingerie development in the 1980’s. Back then, prints were born of an artist’s hand, and transferred via strike-off to screens. The time required and the resulting cost limitations limited the color and detail of engraving that a designer could profitably achieve. Engineered color and detail were the purview of precious fabrics. In sleepwear, where the fabric constitutes 75% of the cost of a garment, this restriction had a major impact on the retail market.
Today, digital printing is available to a much broader creative base, allowing brands like Flora Nikrooz, known for their intricately wrought construction, to venture into print collections that rival graphics formally only accessible in fabrics like silk. The Carina robe in poly-chiffon and the Kayla PJ short set in poly crepe, Flora’s fall 16 secret garden, could never have been delivered at these prices before 2000. These floral compositions expand and energize the Flora Nikrooz signature of elegance without breaking the bank. Imagine what they might do as 3D imaging makes its way into the Lingerie industry impacting fit, function and fortunes. Technology beckons us into the 21st century, expanding horizons and elevating design potential into another universe of creative thought.
“The Future Is Always Beginning Now” ~Mark Strand
