Escher- A modular 3D Printed Fabric for Fashion construction

Escher is a Modular 3D Printable fashion Construction system I designed for my Fashion Construction 1 Final. It has been optimized to print on Makerbot Replicator Plus printers. Each link has a wide base that takes advantage of the new flexible build plate system.

I used it to create a 3D printed dress, as well as the front of a second dress, and several accessories and bracelets. All links pictured were made in about 2 weeks on 4 Makerbot Replicator plus printers.

A lot of things can be made with the Escher system, like the pictured Hacky Sack ball. The system is very versatile. Handbags, Skirts, hats, and even pillows could be made from this fabric.

The idea behind this design was to reinvent Fashion. One could buy 1000 of these links, and use them to make many different items in a wardrobe, not unlike Lego's. Instead of wasting material on clothing you wear once every so often, one could constantly reuse and refresh there wardrobe as styles change.

One should tune any printer before making a lot of these links, such as attempting to make a dress like I did. All links should click together with some effort, and not come apart from shaking and light pulling. All pictured links were made with about 2 kilos of filament, maybe 3. We used multiple printers so it was hard to keep track.

Links with holes and links with built in buttons have been included to help interface with Elastic and Fabrics as shown. Other types of links are very possible however.

I designed these from scratch, but one should check out Polypanels by Make Anything, which are a rigid, but otherwise similar system.