fashion - 3Doodler

Let’s Go Barbie — Make Stylish Accessories!

Posted on July 19, 2023December 11, 2023 by Vicki Grisanti

Barbie is a fashion icon and inspires us all to dream big. Now you can make stylish Barbie accessories with a 3Doodler 3D pen and tutorial!

Over the years, Barbie’s encouraged girls and women worldwide to express their personal style and to be anything they want to be. Barbie held careers in many different industries and represented all kinds of women while breaking fashion barriers.

Now, Barbie is about to hit the big screen in a new adaptation by Greta Gerwig that debuts on Friday, July 21.

It’s the perfect moment to dust off your Barbie dolls and create one-of-a-kind accessories with a 3D pen. Find out how Barbie got her start and explore 3Doodler’s project ideas!

Fashion Icon is Born

Ruth Handler, the co-founder of Mattel, found inspiration watching her daughter, Barbara, and her friends play with paper dolls. She could envision the girls playing with a more lifelike doll but met with resistance at Mattel.

A trip to Europe rekindled the idea after seeing a German doll in a toy shop. Handler quickly created a prototype for an 11.5-inch (29 cm) doll with movable limbs. She named the doll Barbie after her daughter and presented it at the New York Toy Fair in 1959.

From the beginning, fashion played a big part in Barbie’s storyline. Handler envisioned girls playing with the doll to imagine a future where they could be whatever they wanted at a time when many careers were closed to women. Clothes could transform any doll into a flight attendant, doctor, astronaut, or actress. An outfit could create a new look, lifestyle, or career. Anything a teen could dream up was now possible to imagine playing with Barbie.

In the 1970s, Mattel introduced Barbie’s signature pink color to market the doll to young girls. Today the deep pink shade is part of the official Pantone Color Chart designers and artists use.

Make Accessories for Barbie

Whether you’re creating a bright pink accessory or adding to another outfit, one thing is for sure; you can design all sorts of interesting and unique items for Barbie with a 3D pen.
Try your hand at a headband, necklace, or purse with an easy-to-follow tutorial and stencil. Choose a color from a selection of PLA plastic filament, grab your 3Doodler Create+ or 3Doodler Start+ pen, and get crafting.

If you’re feeling really creative, you could even design new clothes for Barbie and Ken. There’s no end to the possibilities.

And, if you’re looking to take the experience one step further, take a Barbie selfie and imagine yourself as part of the Barbie universe!

How has Barbie inspired you? What new accessories will you create? Share your creations with us at @3Doodler or #3Doodler #WhatWillYouCreate.

Experiment with Color: Viva Magenta

Posted on March 22, 2023March 22, 2023 by Vicki Grisanti

Creators use colors in unique and exciting ways to draw attention and spark conversation. The Pantone Color Institute announces a color of the year to inspire the design community and open a dialogue about color.

Viva Magenta, the 2023 color of the year, is a dynamic, vibrant hue that exudes joy and optimism. Explore the shade and grab your 3Doodler 3D pen to experiment with a bright, futuristic color palette.

Pantone

Color of the Year

Pantone began featuring the color of the year in 1999. New colors are announced in early December for the subsequent year. In choosing the color of the year, a group of collaborators and designers take input from various sources, including entertainment, fashion, travel destinations, new technologies, social media, and even sporting events that attract worldwide attention.

In addition, the team considered the public appreciation of nature represented by lifestyle trends, such as bringing natural elements into our homes, at work, and creating vital outdoor spaces. The color choice also reflects a celebratory atmosphere and our renewed enjoyment of traveling, sporting events, and other outdoor activities.

According to Pantone, Viva Magenta’s organic origins hail from the cochineal beetle. The insect produces cochineal extract and carmine. For centuries, the substances colored food, textiles, and even cosmetics.

Viva Magenta is a bright, celebratory color that connects us to nature. Colors like this inspire the imagination and help bring ideas to life. The color of the year typically influences fashion, beauty, interior design, and graphic design.

Spark Bright Ideas

Exploring the uses of color and testing new techniques is all part of the design process. This week we’re sharing a gorgeous charm bracelet in bright pink to reflect the color of the year. Make the bracelet and add a selection of charms that reflect your personality.

Charm bracelets have evolved but always stay in style, given their versatility. Test out different colors and make a monochromatic style with all pink, or design the bracelet in one color and charms in other shades to make them pop.

Create one for yourself or gift one to a friend or family member. Follow the tutorial to see how easy it can be to create in 3D!

See the Tutorial

Share your creations with us and tell us how you are experimenting with color in your 3D designs — @3Doodler or tag #3Doodler #WhatWillYouCreate!

Wearable Fashion with Stéphanie Santos

Posted on August 5, 2020August 10, 2023 by Lindsey

“The 3D pen is a perfect tool for artists wanting to explore unconventional and new techniques for their work and designs.” -Stéphanie Santos

Stéphanie Santos is a European fashion designer who uses 3Doodler pens to create clothing and jewelry inspired by nature. Using her background in art, fashion, and biofabrication, she has created a visionary collection of clothing and jewelry with the 3Doodler Start and Create+ pens. The series was inspired by her passion for sustainability. All of the 3Doodler filaments are either compostable or recyclable, which makes them perfect materials for her work.

We had a chance to speak with her about her creative process and the inspiration behind this series. She also created a beautiful stencil that can be used with your 3Doodler Create+ pen so you can design your very own piece of her collection!

3Doodler: Stéphanie, could you tell us about yourself, your background in fashion design, and an overview of this wearable collection you’ve made with 3D pens?

I was born in Luxembourg to Portuguese parents, and graduated with a variety of art and design disciplines. I studied Art and Graphic Design in my hometown, and went to Northern France to specialize in Fashion Design and Haute Couture techniques at ESMOD Roubaix. For my final exam, I created a collection called “HYBRID.” where I designed and created garments made entirely with the 3Doodler pen.

I did my internship at Iris van Herpen Atelier in Amsterdam, where I later specialized in an interdisciplinary course of Computational Design, Biofabrication, and Digital Fabrication in Textile and Fashion at Fabricademy. For my final project there called “FUNGI COUTURE”, I researched biofabrication methods to decode the aesthetics and properties of mushrooms, and how to translate them into garments.

Next, I would like to combine my knowledge of tech, fashion, and sustainability to continue creating elegant clothing pieces that can be a part of everyday attire.

I love using 3D pen technology and want to continue integrating it into my work. I’m currently researching some small accessory designs I plan to create with the 3Doodler pens that should look contemporary, chic and organic in design, with minimalistic aesthetics.

What is your inspiration for this collection of wearables? Can you speak on the aesthetics of the collection and what they represent to you?

For this project I continued my research in designing with straight lines and curves. I took inspiration from waves and corals. For the Create+ designs it’s a game of rhythm and lines. For the Start pen designs the texture and 3D effect are quite interesting. The straight lines, curves, and unique textures are seen a lot in my designs and can be found anywhere you look. All these elements together create harmony and reflect the beautiful aesthetics of nature, in my opinion.

Can you explain some of the benefits of working with 3D pens as a medium for wearables, as opposed to textiles?

Working with a 3D pen offers so many more possibilities that haven’t been explored yet. Making drawings come to life and creating unique textiles with the 3D pen is amazing. The 3D pen is a perfect tool for artists wanting to explore unconventional and new techniques for their work and designs.

Can you describe your process with making this collection, and the differences between working with the Create+ and the Start?

The process differs depending on the model of pen. The Start pen was very new to me. With the Start pen, in order to create my desired shape, I had to Doodle something that would stay three dimensional and solid, as the material is non-flexible and hardens quickly. For the necklaces made with the Start pen, I Doodled on a mannequin’s neck to design the 3D base shape. That way, it took on the shape of a female human neck. Once I had the base of the shape created, I continued free-hand to fill out the design.

As for the pieces I did with the Create+ I started by drawing digitally on a female body in Photoshop to plan the design. Afterwards I created the printable files on illustrator once I had designed them on a 3D body in Rhino3D to make a template. I then printed out the template and brought it to life with the 3Doodler pen.

Can you speak about the tutorial you have made for our readers?

The video tutorial below shows how I worked with the Create+ pen. I created a design inspired by ocean waves to be worn around the wrist. The design is minimalistic and not hard to make. I designed it with a built-in clasp so there is no need for jewelry closures.

The steps are as follows:

1. 1. 1. 1. Print out this stencil.
      2. Start by outlining the design with a back and forth movement that takes on the width of the outer edge.
      3. Once the outlining is done you can Doodle the inner part with a similar back and forth movement, but with the lines farther apart to create parallels.
      4. You can finish by Doodling the two ‘hooks’ to close the piece.
    Are you inspired by Stéphanie’s 3D pen fashion? Share your thoughts with us on social media, give Stéphanie a follow, and be sure to post pictures of your 3D creations and tag us! @3Doodler #3Doodler #Fashion #WhatWillYouCreate?
    
    Are you looking for 3D pen ideas? Perhaps you’re trying to find the best 3D pen for you? Check out our library of free projects to start creating, and be sure to view our collection of 3D pens and 3D pen plastics.

Facing the Future with Kim Hyun-Kyung

Posted on April 27, 2017November 6, 2022 by mcdoodle

Kim Hyun-Kyung wanted to take her makeup artistry to the next level. “Of the various materials used in makeup, I was looking for something that could express a new and creative object.”

Hyun-Kyung, a 24-year-old makeup artist from Seoul, South Korea, turned to the 3Doodler. “I was able to create a three-dimensional design of various feelings through actual Doodling,” she says.

Using a 3D pen allowed Hyun-Kyung to explore more shapes and concepts in combination with visual effects and makeup. “It was interesting to me that I could embody the desired form in three dimensions without going through a complicated process,” she says, “and it was good that I could create a shape or figure imagined in my head as a solid itself.”

"I could embody the desired form in three dimensions without going through a complicated process, and it was good that I could create a shape or figure imagined in my head as a solid itself."

But just as with any new medium, Hyun-Kyung’s first attempt with the 3Doodler wasn’t as smooth as her stunning beauty shots make it seem. “I wanted to follow the demonstration video making a 3D square, so I turned on the power and drew a square on the paper,” she remembers. “However, I was so unskilled and had to struggle ten times to get it to look good.”

Now Hyun-kyung has been using the 3Doodler for over a year, and there is no sign of struggle in her creative makeup combinations.

Taking inspiration from costume and runway shows, Hyun-Kyung felt that three-dimensional additions could take the drama of the catwalk to a new level. “I devised a makeup design according to the costume used in fashion shows,” she explains. “After understanding the atmosphere and color of the fashion show first, I chose an outfit that might be the most eye-catching when combined with the 3Doodler, and made the work after drafting a design with illustration.”

A look inspired by Iris van Herpen

Hyun-Kyung was especially inspired by bold designers who freely explore new shapes and dimensions, like Alexander McQueen and Iris van Herpen, a leading designer of 3D-printed fashion design.

"I chose an outfit that might be the most eye-catching when combined with the 3Doodler, and made the work after drafting a design with illustration."

Inspired by van Herpen’s 2011 Fall/Winter collections, Hyun-Kyung created her first unique 3D-makeup look. “Looking at the costume reminded me of the feeling of splashing water in the bathtub,” she says. “It took about four hours to make this look, and I captured the outline with clear PLA to show the wavelength of the water.”

It’s one of the pieces Hyun-Kyung is most proud of. “It was a look that many people were interested in, when we were in the studio on the day we shot the 3Doodler makeup.”

For other designs, she found that the FLEXY filaments were the most practical for creating wearable additions to makeup. “It’s comfortable when attached to the face because the FLEXY material is elastic, so it’s possible to form it to fit the facial structure of a person,” she explains. “I like black FLEXY the most. Black is good for expressing a sophisticated, chic, and dramatic feeling.”

A look inspired by the 2016 earthquakes in South Korea

“But not all of my works are inspired by fashion shows,” Hyun-Kyung adds. In 2016, South Korea was rocked by a total of 470 earthquakes and subsequent aftershocks reaching up to 5.8 in magnitude. “Many people were afraid,” says Hyun-Kyung. “These earthquakes occurring one after another were judged to be a warning from nature that we take life for granted.” To reflect the worry and concern of these natural disasters, she created a custom design inspired by the quakes. “It shows the cracks of the earth to raise awareness for the environment,” she explains.

Hyun-Kyung sees 3D printing and 3D pens like the 3Doodler as the way forward for all fashion, whether in makeup, runway shows, costumes, or cosplay. And she wants to help lead the way in the 3D trend. For her next project, she wants to blend the line between fashion, makeup and art. “I want to continue to use the 3Doodler in makeup to express three-dimensional designs which can show a variety of feelings when seen from various angles.”

Creative Couture in 3D

Posted on January 16, 2017August 10, 2023 by mcdoodle

"And now, I’m just trying to change the world, one sequin at a time."-Lady Gaga

Sequins may not be what 3Doodler is all about, but just like Lady Gaga we’re looking to change things – one strand at a time!

Our community has shown us time and again how 3D elements can mix with fashion design to create something new and wonderful for wearable art. And the entries we saw for our 2016 3Doodler Wearable Award presented a runway of fashion-forward Doodles unlike any we had ever seen.

"Playing dress-up begins at age five and never truly ends."-Kate Spade

Fashion is a form of creative and personal expression. This is exactly what Carolyn Laing showed us with her incredibly detailed Doodled bra. The hot pink and black color combination, along with the rocker-chic style really shows off the creative personality behind this bra.

"Fashion should be a form of escapism, and not a form of imprisonment."-Alexander McQueen

And what better form can escapism take than with masks? These delicately Doodled masks by Heather Baharally showed the many different faces fashion can take. Starting with one basic pattern, Heather showed how creativity and imagination can lead to so much more when you think outside the template. With a designers eye, fashion can be transformative – just like with these masks which transform the wearer into something else completely!

Woman crafting fabric with 3D pen strands.

"People will stare. Make it worth their while."-Harry Winston

Erica Grey has shown us before how the worlds of fine art and fashion can blend with wearable works of art. For this year’s 3Doodler Awards, she showed us a different side to her Doodled collection. The golden headpiece and matching corset she presented looks fit for a queen, and is part of Erica’s new bridal collection. Wedding fashion is becoming increasingly daring as brides look for styles which reflect their own personalities, and Erica’s pieces show how customized 3D pieces can create the ultimate statement!

"In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different."-Coco Chanel

And different is always what we’re looking for. Seeing our creative community break boundaries and Doodle outside the lines is always exciting for us, especially when the results are as stunning as this.

Aikaterini Kedikoglou took inspiration from coral reefs, but the incredible necklace she created not only managed to capture the beauty of nature, but went beyond simple representation with it’s creative form and carefully matched colors. While each individual element may seem simple enough, the piece as a whole showed us a design and form we had never seen before – securing her the win for the Wearable Award.

"Fashion is not necessarily about labels. It’s not about brands. It’s about something else that comes from within you."-Ralph Lauren

Creativity and fashion can go hand-in-hand, and while you can always look to the world around you for inspiration, a true unique style can only come from you.

So get creative, and show us what your inner fashionista can do!

Creating Fine Art and Fashion with Erica Gray

Posted on September 27, 2016November 6, 2022 by mcdoodle

Our 3Doodler Community is as diverse as they are creative. This month we’re featuring members who have inspired us with their body of work, incredible projects, or in the way they have brought their imagination to life using the 3Doodler.

Erica Gray’s futuristic creations combine fine art and high fashion into wearable sculptures – each with a focus on 3D technology.

ERICA GRAY

"It has been great to be able to form ideas and play with concepts in a spatial environment."

Erica’s artwork refuses to be neatly categorized. “The fusion of technology, fashion, the analogue, the digital combinations as well as a dash of animalistic imagery inspires much of my new work,” she explains.

Each new project Erica embarks on shows a new side of her futuristic creativity. A part-time graphics illustrator and sculptor from Australia, Erica got her first 3Doodler from our first Kickstarter campaign.

“Over time my spatial skills and confidence with the 3Doodler have grown allowing me to explore new structures and formation in my work,” she says. “It has been great to be able to form ideas and play with concepts in a spatial environment, and have it stay in place and be able to analyse it as an object rather than a series of sketches.”

Big Bang (to Being) Bra

Erica’s work often combines 3D printing and design technology with hand-drawn 3D pen additions, as seen in Big Bang (to Being) Bra. This computer drawn and conceived bra combines digitally processed 3D printing with hand-sculpted additions made with the 3Doodler.

“It was a collaboration with my partner Zoran Zivanovic,” Erica explains. “He did all of the 3D printed parts, and I did the freehand Doodles, and we even added lighting to it. It was a fun project to work on.”

While the entire piece is mixed media, Erica says the majority is 3D technology. “And you can reprint it when it wears out,” she adds.

Erica is no stranger to large-scale wearable pieces made with a 3D pen.

“My first 3Doodled piece, Crystal Matrix, is my favorite,” she says. “It was a large piece to start with, and I went through an array of emotions whilst making it – mostly worry that it would never get finished, followed by a tremendous sense of satisfaction that it was indeed complete, and came out how it was designed to look.”

Now Erica is putting the finishing touches on her latest piece, Future Relic, which she will exhibit in a Fashion Technology display at the Telstra Perth Fashion Festival next month. “Over the last few years I have worked very hard establishing my professional art career,” says Erica. “In these last years, I have relied heavily on the 3Doodler to produce my sculptural and wearable works.”

Future Relic

"The 3Doodler is also a great way of prototyping an idea in real-time."

For Erica, the combination of structural results with freehand design is what draws her to the 3Doodler. “It’s the combination of great materials and ease of use which has made my 3Doodler one of my favorite go-to art tools,” she says. “It is also a great way of prototyping an idea in real-time – this doesn’t balance right, cut it away. Redo that part, perfect.”

Erica says when it comes to Doodling, go big. “Get totally immersed, and don’t be afraid to start your project at a large scale,” she says. “Working in plastic is very forgiving, and any little imperfections can easily be trimmed out and reworked.”

Forming High-Fashion

Posted on March 8, 2016November 6, 2022 by mcdoodle

As a hand-held 3D printer, the 3Doodler opens up a world of possibilities, uses, and applications. This week we look at how the 3Doodler hit the runway with high-fashion wearable forms.

Artist and creator Erica Gray’s Forms Organic demonstrates how free-hand constructions with the 3Doodler can lead to incredible and unique creative fashion.

Forms Organic was made using the 3Doodler and ABS plastic in combination with other materials to create a masked headpiece and torso section. The wearable sculpture is a bespoke one-of-a-kind artwork. The piece is inspired by organic figures and animalistic imagery, expressed using a skeletal structure, tails, teeth and claw-like elements.

“It took a few weeks to produce,” explains Erica. “I had a model booked and a deadline to work towards which helped me really focus.”

Creating a large-scale high-fashion piece was a new step for Erica. “While my work is essentially art based, Forms Organic is also a wearable piece, which meant it took a little longer getting the intricacies of the fit right for a moving subject,” she says.

Every aspect of Forms Organic was constructed by hand. “I pre-selected the elements I wanted to utlize within the piece,” Eric says, “such as the polymer teeth, claws and nylon tail – which I also sculpted from scratch.”

Once the additional pieces were created, Erica then got to work with her 3Doodler. “The main bulk of the piece is then 3Doodled around, through, or within those elements,” she says. “I used roughly sketched stencils for some of the joins, and once those parts were ready I just assembled the form, building up layers of filament over select areas to exaggerate and construct the skeletal ridges.”

"I usually work from sketches, however in this case I just let it evolve."

Erica was working only with a loose plan of where to go and how to proceed. “I usually work from sketches, however in this case I just let it evolve,” she explains. It was a process fitting for the nature of this piece and helped inspire the title of Forms Organic. “My sculpted works are often themed on organic forms and animalistic imagery, and this piece captures those fluid forms as well as some more rigid skeletal sections.”

Erica says the process helped inspire her for future works and opens up a new realm of possibilities for wearable, high-fashion projects. “I usually produce wearable pieces that stand as a whole, encompassing any accessories as a part of it’s whole,” she says. “Saying that, while I am not actively pursuing accessories as a direction it does have me intrigued. The idea would be to design individually stylised, fluid plastic pieces for arms, legs, shoes, collars – art as accessories.”

Fashion Focus with Patrick Tai

Posted on January 15, 2016October 8, 2024 by mcdoodle

“I looked and looked for fabrics with repetitive lines, shapes, and unique textures,” says fashion designer Patrick Tai. “I didn’t have much luck, so I decided to improvise and sort of create my own texture.”

The search for something new was what led Patrick to the 3Doodler. A recent Fashion Design graduate from the Art Institute of Charlotte, Patrick was looking for a way to express his unique vision and aesthetic.

“My inspiration comes from geometric shapes, modern architecture, and unique textures,” he explains. “I want the texture of my garments to reflect my inspiration, and that presented a challenge.”

"I want the texture of my garments to reflect my inspiration, and that presented a challenge."

When he found the 3Doodler, Patrick knew right away it would be the perfect match for his designs. But it took some trial and error—and a lucky mistake—for him to discover the perfect mix of fashion and Doodling. “I originally started by experimenting with ABS plastic to get familiar with the 3Doodler,” he explains. “I started running out of plastic filaments, so I purchased more. I accidentally purchased the new FLEXY strands, and liked the flexibility of it more.”

As he Doodled more with the FLEXY plastic, Patrick’s design began to take shape, and an entire dress was created using only the 3Doodler. “Most of the dress is made with FLEXY plastic, with some ABS plastic at the edges for support,” he says. “The dress made completely with the 3Doodler took me just under 100 hours, not including the accessories.”

From that first dress, Patrick expanded his line to include more wearable dresses and accessories with Doodled accents and additions. “I’ve been lucky enough to showcase some of my designs in NCFA (North Carolina Fashion Association), along with other Fashion Shows around Charlotte, North Carolina,” says Patrick. “I have also participated in a couple of charity Fashion Shows.”

Wherever his Doodled designs are shown, Patrick says the response is overwhelming. “The reactions that I have received from these 3D fashions have been nothing but positive,” he says. “People have been so supportive and full of compliments, some people couldn’t believe that the pieces were created by a pen.”

For Patrick, the 3Doodler allowed him to take his personal creative vision and make it possible, by creating textures and concepts that hadn’t previously existed.

Patrick’s work with the 3Doodler is crucial to his designs and fashion concepts. “I feel that giving your audience the chance to feel your designs whether it’s being seen in a photo or on a runway is important.”

The Doodle is in the Detail with Grace Du Prez

Posted on May 4, 2015August 9, 2023 by mcdoodle

“I’m always drawn to trying new materials and I love creating tactile surfaces,” says Grace Du Prez. A mixed media designer based in London, England, Grace was drawn to the 3Doodler as an experimental new medium.

Grace is no stranger to using unconventional materials in her design pieces. “My previous work has involved lots of surface design techniques including digital embroidery and fabric manipulation,” she explains, “as well as the use of many unusual materials from leather to human hair, and even Mini Cheddars!”

With the wide range of colors available, and having the ability to control the final texture of the plastic, Grace was immediately drawn to the 3Doodler. “It was really interesting to start working with plastic as a medium and exploring all the different effects you can create,” she says.

"It was really interesting to start working with plastic as a medium and exploring all the different effects you can create."

Her very first project—a Peacock Hat for Ladies’ Day at Royal Ascot—was certainly a head-turner, and earned her multiple headlines and accolades. “This was the very first time I had used 3Doodler,” Grace says, “so I learnt a lot in a very short amount of time!”

Peacock Hat for Ladies' Day at Royal Ascot

The completed hat took over 60 hours, all Doodled in the span of a week. “There were also a couple of days spent doing the initial designing,” Grace says. “The hat was made up of three different size feathers, all with three colours in them. Each one varied from around 15-30 minutes to make.”

Whether Doodling fanciful hats or fancy jewelry, Grace says it’s not as simple as picking up a 3Doodler and drawing away. “My design process is quite experimental and there is always an element of trial and development,” she explains. “I often start with a mood-board and a brainstorm of ideas.”

Then Grace moves on to drawing out her concepts. “I will draw a few basic sketches of the silhouette and then work out the templates using CAD,” she says. “Designing on the computer works well for me as I can easily make alterations and work out the exact scale. I can also try out different colour options.”

From those plans, Grace then creates a paper model by printing the templates from the computer models. “At this point I can see if it will work logistically,” she says. “For the final part of the planning process, I Doodle a test piece to see how it will look and make adjustments where needed. This step can be repeated several times so that each part works perfectly.”

The results are stunning pieces that reflect her careful planning and meticulous execution.

Sometimes, Grace says, ideas from one project will inspire something completely different. “I’ve just finished a vase that is totally waterproof,” she says. “It’s made of multiple circular layers all joined together—the same principle as a bracelet I previously made.”

After creating the bracelet, Grace says she was inspired by the clear plastic and the circular shapes. “It’s functional and the clear plastic looks really beautiful through the water,” she says. “I applied a layer of clear silicon to the inside surface to make it watertight.”

For Grace, the 3Doodler seems the perfect tool for her artistic and design ideas. “I like that the 3Doodler combines modern technology and yet is still very hands on,” she says. “The making process is integral to me as a designer and I like my work to have a hand made quality.”

And while Grace is now an expert at using the 3Doodler to its highest potential, she says there’s always more to learn. “I’m always getting new ideas for projects,” she says, “and there are still lots of techniques I’d like to try!”

See more of Grace’s work on her website.

Making Patterns with Plastic

Posted on August 15, 2014August 9, 2023 by mcdoodle

Fashion-forward creatives have been finding new and exciting ways to incorporate 3D aspects into their designs. But Hong Kong fashion art house SHIGO went beyond Doodled additions and constructed an entire dress made entirely with the 3Doodler.

SHIGO love to break from traditional thinking and try new things. Led by two young Hong Kong fashion designers, SHIGO is meant to serve as a platform to express creativity and ideas through fashion. “No one has used the 3Doodler to produce clothing made completely from plastic,” say SHIGO’s co-founders, who set out to do what no one had done before—make Doodled clothing a reality.

The duo began with a concept based from seashells. Taking two types of shell patterns, they wove the spiralling designs together to create an intricate design.

With this textile-like pattern, SHIGO then adapted the design to create a lace-like concept for the dress. The pattern was printed and applied to a base layer of heavy paper to test and fine-tune the form and placement before beginning work with the 3Doodler.

Using Blue Steel PLA and Diamonds & Pearls PLA, the final dress had a subtle shimmer which added elegance, sophistication, and enhanced the impressive 3-dimensional nature of the construction.

The final Doodles were peeled away from the paper base, leaving an intricate lace-like shell made of fine strands of surprisingly sturdy plastic.

The dress was left split down one side, with buckle attachments to make it easier to put on and take off.

The end result was something completely new in both the worlds of fashion and 3D printing. With the free-hand nature of the 3Doodler, SHIGO had created the world’s first entirely Doodled dress.

3D Fashion with Amanda Sekulow

Posted on July 2, 2014November 6, 2022 by mcdoodle

When it came time for Amanda Sekulow to create a collection for her graduation from O’More College of Design, she knew exactly what she needed. “Every day I prayed that my 3Doodler would arrive,” she says.

Amanda had backed the 3Doodler Kickstarter, and was anxiously awaiting its arrival. But the clock was ticking. “I began in the autumn of 2013 by creating the concept and illustrating the basic garments,” she says. But she didn’t want to start final creation until she had her 3Doodler in hand. “I was determined to wait, as I wanted to use the 3Doodler in my designs.”

As she waited, the Melt into Spring collection took form as a series of white dresses combined with wearable art. The sophisticated dresses would use a variety of woven materials, with 3-dimensional additions created with the 3Doodler.

And soon the wait was over, and the pen arrived. “It showed up, quite literally, just in time,” Amanda says. “I was able to go back to school in January ready to get down to business!”

She spent the next four months creating, embellishing, and perfecting a total of 10 dresses before her final runway show.

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“There is more than 1,000 feet of ABS plastic in these pieces,” Amanda says, “along with 600 Swarovski crystals, and 810 work hours in total.”

"There are some dresses with intricate sculptures on them, others I let the fabric and plastic do their own thing."

While they stand together as a collection, Amanda made sure each dress made a statement on its own. “Each piece is so different, and has its own story to tell,” she says. “There are some dresses with intricate sculptures on them, others I let the fabric and plastic do their own thing. Some of the looks are polished and refined where others look messy and organic.”

And while the entire collection was a labor of love, Amanda says one piece stands out above the rest.

“My favorite piece was the finale piece in the show,” she admits. The dress in question has a high neckline with a chest and shoulder piece with attached apron made entirely from Doodled ABS. With 85 Doodled flowers and 119 attached crystals, this dress alone took over 100 hours to complete.

“I made the neck piece and bodice portion of the apron directly on a body form, so that it would fit close to the model’s body,” Amanda says. It was a risk, as the fit of the final piece would depend on the model who would wear it. “It ended up fitting her perfectly.”

Amanda says watching her final piece during the show was her proudest moment. “I have never been more excited to see anything walk down a runway,” she says, “and everyone else seemed to love it just as much as I do.”

Amanda says the final result of Melt into Spring is a culmination of all the work she has put into design and fashion. “The entire collection is a reflection of my feelings, motivation and life experiences in the moments when I created them.”