Inkjet & Digital Printing

Fashion in 3D: Bow & Drape Partners with Shapeways to Launch Wearable 3D Printed Metal Accessories

Thursday 26. September 2013 - Bow & Drape, the fashion brand that lets women add their personal touch to every piece, is partnering with Shapeways, the world's leading 3D printing marketplace and community, to launch a line of 3D printed, jewelry-grade metal accessories for Fall 2013

The line includes leather belts and clutches, both with 3D printed hardware. The adjustable 100% leather or twill belt comes in 4 colors (black leather, tan leather, natural twill and black twill), and each customer can choose between 6 different brass and metal buckle designs brought to life by Shapeways.
Each piece is also interchangeable so the belts function more like a collection. “They were inspired by a vintage 1970s belt from Paris,” Creative Director and CEO, Aubrie Pagano, admits, “and we hope that our customers invest in our hardware over time. That way, women can interchange designs just as their mood changes.” Bow & Drape’s clutches also don 3D printed zipper pulls in an assortment of animals and miscellaneous shapes.
The combination of quality, weighted material with this new technology is groundbreaking in the wearables market. “The decision to incorporate 3D printing technology was a natural choice for us,” says Pagano, “we are standing at the forefront of fashion and technology, so this brand of me- commerce rings true to our ethos.”
“We are thrilled to partner with Bow & Drape on their new line of 3D printed accessories,” said Carine Carmy, Director of Marketing at Shapeways. “This partnership is a natural extension of our vision at Shapeways, which aims to enable anyone to turn an idea into reality. Shapeways and Bow & Drape share the goal of helping individuals create meaningful, personalized products, and we’re inspired to see how designers are using 3D printing to bring innovation and custom design to the fashion industry.”
Bow & Drape creates modern elegant womenswear and wants women to add their personal touch to each piece. “We believe style is as unique as a fingerprint,” says Pagano, “and so we want to equip women to really own their style and choose if they’d like something a little extra special. It’s a reinvention of the private client model; everyone knows designers’ most loyal and successful customers are the ones that they work with privately to create totally personalized fashions. We are simply allowing more customers access to this service model.”
HOW IT WORKS:
— Bow & Drape works closely with CAD designers, artisans and independent
printers like Shapeways to create designs that are a strong
representation of the collection. Each design is meticulously
constructed to be both aesthetically beautiful and structurally sound.
— Through the Bow & Drape website (www.bowanddrape.com), women will be
able to choose the design of their 3D printed hardware from a curated
selection of vintage-inspired shapes including: geometric bows,
elephants, lions, carousel horses, beetles, and even lipstick. New
designs will be added each season.
— Shapeways will then print each belt buckle or clutch pull to order, and
Bow & Drape will attach the finished metal pieces to the customer’s
selected material for delivery.
— The customer will then receive her printed accessory within 2 weeks.
The Fall 2013 Collection is just the beginning. Bow & Drape is actively exploring new ways to allow the customer to place their mark on the design process. Other uses for 3D printing technology, the company believes, will open doors to new customer interaction models, new manufacturing processes and new product delivery channels. Imagine in 5 years licensing a Bow & Drape design, modifying it in CAD and printing it out in your home. “This is not a so distant reality,” Pagano says,” and we are excited to help usher in the future of fashion.”
The Fall 3D printed line will be available for purchase beginning September 16th, 2013 and will retail between $48- $148.