6. Computational Couture

Research & Ideation

Introduction to computational couture

In the world of fashion and textile design, computational couture is an innovative approach that leverages algorithms, parametric design, and digital fabrication to craft unique, customizable pieces. Unlike traditional methods, where physical material constraints and manual skills play a significant role, computational couture harnesses the power of computational design to manipulate shapes, forms, and patterns in a digital environment. These digitally created designs can then be fabricated with precision, pushing boundaries in aesthetics and functionality that are challenging or impossible to achieve through conventional methods.

Understanding computational and Parametric design

This week’s Fabricademy module introduces computational and parametric design, which are pivotal in creating designs that are both aesthetically captivating and functionally innovative. Through this method, algorithms and parameters allow designers to create endless shapes and forms by encoding designs into a computer language. This approach is like learning a new language; it’s a method that expands the creative toolbox by allowing the designer to explore infinite variations through digital manipulation, not bound by traditional design limitations.

Applications in Fashion and wearable art

Computational couture offers possibilities to create designs that respond to body measurements, environmental factors, or user preferences. Designers can integrate intricate patterns and textures that might be tedious to replicate by hand, and they can even add customizable options for clients, enhancing the consumer's interaction with the design.

Key concepts:

Algorithmic Design:

Algorithms serve as the foundation of computational couture, enabling the repetition and transformation of complex patterns. With the right algorithms, designers can create everything from fluid, organic forms to rigid, structured geometries.

Parametric Design:

By defining parameters (variables), designers can make specific parts of a design adjustable. For example, parametric design could adjust the sleeve length or fabric pattern of a garment based on user inputs. This approach can help produce custom-fit or adjustable garments without altering the overall aesthetic or structure.

Generative Design:

This aspect involves using algorithms to generate a wide range of design outputs based on input parameters. In computational couture, generative design can allow designers to create multiple unique pieces efficiently, each iteration displaying a new facet of the original design.

Inspirations from computational couture pioneers:

Iris van Herpen:

Known for integrating technology with haute couture, she explores the possibilities of computational design, especially in her 3D-printed garments. Her work demonstrates how algorithms can create organic and fluid structures that interact with light and movement, transforming the body into an artistic form.

ThreeASFOUR:

This design collective uses algorithms to develop geometrically complex patterns, inspired by biology and nature. Their parametric designs illustrate the fluidity that computational couture can bring to fashion, as well as the sustainability of modular and reusable design practices.

Julia Körner:

Körner’s work in 3D-printed fashion highlights how computational design can push materials to new functional and aesthetic limits. Her intricate designs are a testament to the possibilities unlocked by computational couture in terms of texture, flexibility, and form.

Ideation for computational couture projects:

Algorithmic Patterns in Crochet:

Inspired by my crochet background, I could develop a set of algorithmic patterns that change based on a user’s body measurements. This approach could yield a line of modular garments that users can customize based on seasonal or personal needs.

Wearable Modular Art:

By using parametric design, I could create a garment that can be worn in multiple configurations. This piece could combine functionality with artistic expression, allowing it to adapt to different occasions or even user moods.

Circular Fashion with Parametric Adaptability:

Embracing circular design principles, I would like to explore how computational couture can reduce waste. One idea is to design garments that can be adjusted or reassembled, making them more adaptable over time and thus extending their lifecycle.

3D Printing

Introduction to 3D printing in fashion design

3D printing has become a transformative tool in computational couture, providing the ability to manufacture intricate, customizable, and structurally unique garments that challenge the conventions of traditional fashion. By pairing computational and parametric design with 3D printing, designers can create wearable art pieces that embody complex geometries and textures, which would be nearly impossible to achieve through traditional textile methods. 3D printing brings the digital creations from virtual spaces to physical reality, allowing for a new level of detail, precision, and innovation in fashion.

How 3D Printing enhances computational couture

Complex and Customizable Forms:

3D printing offers the flexibility to create intricate structures directly from the digital model without the limitations of manual assembly. Designers can program and print garments with intricate, lace-like structures or rigid, sculptural forms that conform to the body’s contours, resulting in a custom fit.

Integration of Textures and Patterns:

Parametric and algorithmic designs can be translated directly into 3D-printed textures, such as raised surfaces, interlocking modules, or geometric patterns. The precision of 3D printing ensures that even the most complex textures are rendered accurately, enhancing both the aesthetic and tactile quality of garments.

Sustainable Production:

With 3D printing, garments can be produced on-demand, minimizing waste associated with overproduction. Additionally, many 3D-printed materials are recyclable or biodegradable, aligning with the principles of circular fashion. This process allows designers to explore materials beyond traditional fabrics, incorporating more sustainable and eco-friendly options.

Key approaches in 3D Printing for computational couture:

Modular Design:

One way 3D printing supports computational couture is through modular design, where garments are printed as separate, interlocking pieces that can be assembled and reassembled. This approach not only enables customization but also allows for easier repair and reuse, as worn or damaged pieces can be reprinted and replaced.

Hybrid Material Exploration:

New 3D printing materials such as flexible filaments, bioplastics, and metallic resins offer a range of textures and functionalities, from elasticity to rigidity. This opens up possibilities to combine these materials within a single garment, creating a hybrid design that adapts to movement, body temperature, or specific environmental factors.

Body-Mapped Designs:

3D printing allows designers to create garments that map precisely to an individual’s body, integrating unique shapes or patterns to accommodate the wearer’s specific body structure. This body-mapping ability supports parametric design by enabling highly personalized fits, adding comfort and enhancing the overall aesthetic of the garment.

Grasshopper and Rhino 3D

Grasshopper is a visual programming language plugin for Rhino 3D, offering a powerful environment for parametric design. This tool allows designers to automate and manipulate complex geometric forms by creating algorithms through a node-based workflow. Rather than manually modeling every detail, designers can use Grasshopper to create rules and parameters that dynamically adjust the design, making it invaluable for computational couture and architectural applications.

This week, I was especially drawn to the idea of printing onto textiles to create intentional distortions. This approach captivated me, as it added a layer of unpredictability and flexibility that traditional garment printing in rigid plastic lacks. I began by designing straightforward 2D patterns with gentle extrusions. Using the 'Tween Two Lines' tool, I experimented with a small-scale design, adjusting parameters between the two lines to explore how each tweak could create unique effects.

PROCESS

STL/OBJ - Slicer (layers) CURA software - 3d printer

In the FABLAB we have the PLA (PolyTerra) and the FLEX (SmartFil) options to print, both of them 1.75mm nozzle size.

Set the machine:

1) Home.

2) Place the fabric over the bed using clippers. It’s easy to start clipping in the middle of the bed. It Depends on the design stretch or not the fabric.

3) Calibrate the bed. The nozzle must not drag the fabric and must briefly touch the textile.

4) Take the nozzle in the origin.

5) Cut the filament diagonal.

6) Push the filament (must go out a little to clean the previous material).

7) Turn on the temperature in the bed and nozzle to start warming up. Wait until the heat starts printing.

8) Add Laca (hair product) to the bed and the fabric to be easier to adhere to the print on the fabric.

9) Connect the SD Card or online (depending on the printer machine).

Prepare the file:

1) Transform your design into a closed mesh in Rhino.

2) Export to a . STL file.

3) Open it in CURA (Slicer software)

4) Set the following printer settings:

Layer height: 0.2 Line with:1 (Same as the nozzle of the machine) Infill: Lines Flow: 100% Enable retraction: OFF Print speed: 25mm s Material T: 220 ºC Support: OFF 5) Save the file (Gcode is the file that you send to the printer with all the instructions and coordinates of your design) on the SD card or upload (Depending on the software machine).

6) Print

After setting up and printing, the product did not achieve the expected rigidity. The final print was not as rigid as initially intended, suggesting that adjustments to filament choice, print speed, or infill density might be necessary to enhance the outcome’s structural integrity.