A while ago, when I first started researching possible 3D printed materials to use for my beloved Pet Hugger, I stumbled upon an article on http://www.brit.co/electroloom/ published in the end of January 2014. Basically, this article by Lisa Raphael defines big ambitions of a little company called Electroloom. I mean, what can be more ambitious than the claim that all of us will be wearing 3D printed outfits by the end of 2014? Before we all get overexcited, however, I would like to note that it is end of May and so far I haven’t heard of anybody wearing 3D printed clothes on a regular basis. So unless Electroloom really steps their game up within the next 7 months, my guess is it’s not happening. The overall hype level of the article reminded me of Fabricated; only this time I’m not falling for it! The trip to NRI was really sobering in this respect.
Anyway, Electroloom is a 3D printer from a company by the same name that hopes to create wearable wardrobe essentials like T-shirts and sweaters by year’s end. So far, the team has had success printing out polymer fabric as sheets and tubes claiming that creating more complicated shapes and fibers that resemble cotton is next on their list. The author of the article also states that if Electroloom delivers on its promise, “the industry as a whole would be looking at an answer to more sustainable production with a way to create a wardrobe inside your home, no sewing machine necessary. And more than just making advances in at-home 3D printing, the company’s finished product will be one part social media experiment where figuring out what to wear is an experience where you can play designer, or choose from an online database of crowdsourced designs.”
So maybe there is hope for my Pet Hugger yet, although definitely not by the end of 2014. I would like to think that by the time I get bored with my stable Wall Street job, Electroloom will make it possible to 3D print any textile. And once I’m ready to take risks, technology is there to make the launch of my idea possible.
