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6. Computational Couture

Research & Ideation

https://medium.com/vectary-blog/12-jewelry-designers-using-3d-printing-you-should-follow-20e703adfcaa

https://facfox.com/docs/kb/five-3d-printed-fashion-accessory-designer-brands-you-must-know?utm_source=chatgpt.com#ch_1

https://ganitgoldstein.com/#/arts-of-fashion/

This week in Fabricademy has been the toughest for me so far. I started the course with zero experience in 3D software or parametric design. So, first, I want to explain what parametric modeling actually means.

Parametric Design

According to literature, parametric design can be defined as a process based on an algorithmic approach that expresses parameters and rules that, together, can define, encode, and clarify the relationship between designer’s intent and design response (Caetano et al., 2020; Touloupaki and Theodosiou, 2017). This method mainly involves a flexible way to describe and generate geometry through scripting—by connecting decision variables and constraints (the parameters) to shapes, creating interdependencies between elements, and defining how those elements transform. It gives you real-time control over forms and parts, so you can explore many options at once and find solid answers to tricky problems.

In short, the word parametric comes from math and means using adjustable variables to change an equation’s outcome So, parametric design is basically math-driven design: you express relationships between elements as tweakable parameters, then adjust them to build complex shapes based on those linked values.

A Quick Rundown on Parametric Design in Fashion and Jewelry

I just spent some time digging into this post from Beegraphy—Jewelry and Fashion: Embracing Parametric Design—and honestly, it’s packed with solid examples and real talk about where things are heading.

Why Parametric Design Actually Matters

The piece kicks off by pointing out the obvious: fashion and jewelry have always been about craft and vision, but now algorithms are sneaking into the mix—and not in a gimmicky way. Parametric design lets you set rules (think size, density, curvature) and then tweak them endlessly without rebuilding everything. It’s like having a smart sketch that updates itself.

The big wins?
- Mass customization without chaos
- Less waste, smarter material use
- Wild shapes that traditional methods can’t touch

10 Standout Projects That Nail It

They list 10 real-world examples, and a few really stuck with me:

  1. Nervous System – Cell Cycle Collection
    You hop online, play with sliders for pattern and thickness, and boom—your ring is generated and 3D printed. No two are the same. It’s like Etsy, but the algorithm is your jeweler.

  2. Julia Körner – Kelp Jacket
    Inspired by seaweed, built with Grasshopper + 3D printing. The flowy, layered structure looks alive—and it’s wearable. Shows how bio-mimicry isn’t just buzzword bingo.

  3. Francis Bitonti – Molecule Shoe & Bristle Dress
    Lattice structures that flex where you need them. The dress especially—printed in flexible nylon—looks like liquid metal frozen mid-splash.

  4. Iris van Herpen – Voltage Collection
    Yeah, she’s the queen of this space. Her 3D-printed couture feels electric—literally. The way the fabric moves like current? Unreal.

  5. Zaha Hadid x Georg Jensen – Lamellae Collection
    Architecture meets wrist. Hadid took her signature fluid geometry and scaled it down into silver cuffs and rings. Bold, architectural, and surprisingly wearable.

  6. Xuberance – 3D Printed Bridal Wear
    Full SLS-printed wedding gowns in soft nylon. Yes, you can dance in them. The veils and headpieces are pure geometry porn.

  7. Adidas Futurecraft 4D
    Not fashion, but product design done right. The midsole lattice is parametrically tuned for your footstrike data. Performance + personalization = future.

  8. Neri Oxman – Luna Dress
    Part of her Wanderers series. The dress reacts to light and temperature, grown via algorithm and printed in bio-materials. It’s not clothing—it’s a living system.

  9. Hannah Soukup – NYF Collection
    Clean, geometric jewelry with parametric twists. Each piece feels handcrafted, but the precision screams digital.

  10. Anouk Wipprecht – Smoke Dress
    Okay, this one’s just fun. Proximity sensors trigger smoke effects. Parametric structure + robotics = interactive runway magic.

Beegraphy’s Role (and Why It’s Cool)

They’re not just writing about this—they’re building tools. Their platform lets designers collaborate in real-time, export for 3D printing, and join challenges. Think GitHub, but for parametric fashion.

They’ve got a Design Challenge Series with Julia Körner and Gediminas Kirdeikis on the jury—two heavyweights who actually do this stuff. If you’ve got a wild idea, this is your shot.

Final Thoughts

Look, parametric design isn’t replacing tailors or goldsmiths—it’s expanding the toolbox. You still need taste, story, and intent. But now? You can:

  • Let a bride design her veil with a slider
  • Print a shoe that fits your arch, not “medium”
  • Turn a math equation into a necklace

It’s democratizing complexity. And with platforms like Beegraphy lowering the barrier, we’re about to see a flood of new voices.

If you’re in Fabricademy, jewelry CAD, or just curious—go play. The future’s not coming. It’s already being printed, one layer at a time.

Original post: beegraphy.com/blog/jewelry-and-fashion-embracing-parametric-design

weekly assignment

Check out the weekly assignment here or login to your NuEval progress and evaluation page.

about your images..delete the tip!!

  1. Remember to credit/reference all your images to their authors. Open source helps us create change faster together, but we all deserve recognition for what we make, design, think, develop.

  2. remember to resize and optimize all your images. You will run out of space and the more data, the more servers, the more cooling systems and energy wasted :) make a choice at every image :)

This image is optimised in size with resolution 72 and passed through tinypng for final optimisation. Remove tips when you don't need them anymore!

get inspired!

Check out and research alumni pages to better understand how to document and get inspired

Add your fav alumni's pages as references

References & Inspiration

"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum."

  • Two images side-by-side

describe what you see in this image describe what you see in this image


  • Image reference

centered image with credits/reference
  • Download reference

Links to reference files, PDF, booklets,

about your images..

  1. Remember to credit/reference all your images to their authors. Open source helps us create change faster together, but we all deserve recognition for what we make, design, think, develop.

  2. remember to resize and optimize all your images. You will run out of space and the more data, the more servers, the more cooling systems and energy wasted :) make a choice at every image :) This image is optimised in size with resolution 72 and passed through tinypng for final optimisation.

Tools

Process and workflow

Rhino and Grasshopper ... Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

describe what you see in this image

Step

This model 1 was obtained by..

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum."

Step

The paramteric model 2 was created using.. it allows the user to follow, shape, adapt, increase, mimic..

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Step

...

My final model for printing is ...

The STL model 3 was obtained by..

Print with file [^4] was created using..

footnote fabrication files

Fabrication files are a necessary element for evaluation. You can add the fabrication files at the bottom of the page and simply link them as a footnote. This was your work stays organised and files will be all together at the bottom of the page. Footnotes are created using [ ^ 1 ] (without spaces, and referenced as you see at the last chapter of this page) You can reference the fabrication files to multiple places on your page as you see for footnote nr. 2 also present in the Gallery.

3D Models

upload the 3d models of MakeHuman, Final 3d modelled body, 3D Scans, etc use the fabrication files at the bottom of the page to link and upload models, referencing them with a footnote

Dita's Gown by Francis Bitonti Studio on Sketchfab

Videos

learn how to add video tutorials, inspirational videos and movies etc

From Vimeo

Sound Waves from George Gally (Radarboy) on Vimeo.

From Youtube

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Fabrication files

  1. File: 3d modelling of mannequin ↩

  2. File: Laser cut sheets ↩

  3. File: additional models ↩