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First Prototypes

¨How can Parametric Design and 3D-Printing be used to create sustainable, functional and creative bras that integrate sensuality, unique body shape and embraces individuality¨

Ideation & sketches

Design & Fabrication

GRASSHOPPER

  • I start playing with voronoi and I'm facing two main challenges at the beginning; understand how a bra works and finding an aesthetic pattern so as I don't want to have only one pattern but at least three to give more women more options to pick from, I decide to face the unknown (bra function and experimentation) with what I know how to do (voronoi),as this last one is related to the inspiration of the topic and I hold an emotional bond to it as its what got me introduced into grasshopper and parametric design I decide to use these shapes for my first prototypes, but no worries I'll experiment with more shapes!

So let's get hands on!

- 1. Take the shape of a bra

- 2. Put it into Grasshopper

- 3. My first parameter

Here you can see the script which is pretty basic but a starting point for my first prototypes or definetely "Frankensteins"

GRASSHOPPER SCRIPT

_Please remember you can click in the image to zoom_
Here you can see a render of my first approach:

And my second approach

And you can see the 3D .stl files that I used to generate the gcodes for 3d printing

BRA CUP by neyla_01 on Sketchfab

HALF BRA by neyla_01 on Sketchfab

Printers

Here you can find more information about the printer and buy it in case you want

Here you can find more information about the printer and buy it in case you want

Prototypes

Here 1 you can see all the settings I used for 3d printing with Balena and here 2 with TPU

Printing also with different kinds of TPU allowed me to feel how the material interact with the ski and to check that Balena is definetely the one that's the most gentle to the skin, while at the same time as Balena is a bit expensive, I don't want to waste material on rough prototypes that before hand I know are nowhere close to what the final product should be but it's more of a material/shape/aesthetic exploration.

So far the foamy (right) is wayyy more comfortable than the TPU 82A (left), this last one I couldn't stand it more than 5 minutes when I was wearing both of them at the same time.

Mentoring notes

  • Find a catch phrase
  • Add a reference about a 3d pritned similar garment
  • How 3D printing and technology can empower women?
  • Add data information about women showing discomfort and insatisfaction with their bras
  • What's my input? A body scanner?

Conclusions

  • The body scan is needed
  • The bra shouldn't be printed as a flat surface but should hold the body shape already so it can fit like Cinderella's shoe to each woman
  • Working with Balena is the best option for a full circular product but TPU brings a support that can be used as the structure of the bra
  • I should be careful with how the pattern plays a role as the skin should be able to breath and also hold the structure and support of a bust

Half-fabrication files

  1. File: BALENA CURA SETTINGS ↩

  2. File: FOAMY CURA SETTINGS ↩