Forget Shopping. Soon You'll Download Your New Clothes | Danit Peleg | TED Talks

Summary

In this inspiring talk, fashion designer Danit Peleg shares her journey of using 3D printing to create innovative, custom-made fashion. From designing a skirt on the spot at a technology conference to printing an entire collection at home, Peleg explores the potential of 3D printing to revolutionize the fashion industry. She discusses the challenges, like finding the right materials and slow printing speeds, but envisions a future where fashion is digital and personalized, allowing people to create clothing in their own homes. The talk highlights the intersection of creativity, technology, and sustainability in the future of fashion.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker describes how, during a travel-heavy period, they used 3D printing technology to quickly create a skirt for an important event while attending a tech conference.
• 😀 The speaker shares their early experience of 3D printing an entire fashion collection for their senior fashion design project, despite limited knowledge of 3D printing and a tight deadline.
• 😀 The speaker enjoyed experimenting with new materials and developing unique textiles for fashion projects, even exploring old factories and stores for unusual materials.
• 😀 To expand their work, the speaker moved on to working with larger machines like knitting machines and laser cutters, which were not suitable for their living space.
• 😀 A key learning moment occurred during an internship in New York, where the speaker worked on 3D printed dresses that had limitations like breakability and discomfort for models.
• 😀 The speaker became inspired by the possibility of home 3D printing after receiving a 3D printed necklace and realized they could print clothes at home using affordable, personal printers.
• 😀 The speaker learned about the different materials used in 3D printing, specifically Filaflex, a flexible filament that allowed them to create wearable garments.
• 😀 The first successful garment created was a red jacket with the word 'Liberté' embedded in it, symbolizing the freedom and empowerment the speaker felt through home 3D printing.
• 😀 The process of 3D printing fashion garments involved piecing small parts together like a puzzle, and the speaker sought to print textile materials that could mimic traditional fabrics like cotton and silk.
• 😀 The speaker predicts that as 3D printing technology evolves, clothing will become increasingly personalized, digital, and available to print at home, similar to how digital music has transformed the music industry.

Q & A

What was the speaker's main challenge when trying to print clothes from home?

The speaker's main challenge was finding the right filament for printing clothes, as the materials initially tested were either too hard or breakable for fashion applications.

How did the speaker solve the issue with hard and breakable materials?

The speaker discovered Filaflex, a new kind of filament that was strong yet flexible, which allowed them to print garments suitable for fashion.

What garment did the speaker first print using the new filament?

The speaker first printed a red jacket with the word 'Liberté' ('freedom' in French) embedded in it.

What is the significance of the word 'Liberté' in the speaker’s work?

The word 'Liberté' represented the speaker's sense of empowerment and freedom, as it symbolized their ability to design and print garments from home.

What was the speaker’s experience with 3D printed dresses during their internship?

The speaker worked on two incredible 3D printed dresses, but they encountered issues with the hard plastics used, as the dresses were breakable and uncomfortable for models to wear.

How did the speaker come up with the idea to print clothes from home?

The speaker was inspired by a 3D printed necklace given to them by a friend, which was printed using a home printer. This led them to explore the possibility of printing entire garments at home.

What was the speaker’s process for learning 3D printing?

The speaker learned 3D printing at a small makerspace, where they were given full access to experiment and develop their skills, including working late into the night.

What is PLA filament, and why did the speaker stop using it?

PLA (Polylactic Acid) filament is a hard and scratchy material. The speaker stopped using it because it was not suitable for clothing, as it was too rigid and breakable for fashion designs.

What does the speaker suggest about the future of 3D printed fashion?

The speaker suggests that in the future, materials for 3D printed fashion will evolve to feel like traditional fabrics, and personalized clothing could be printed at home, offering items that fit exactly to one's measurements.

How did the speaker print their entire fashion collection?

The speaker printed their entire fashion collection by using six 3D printers, working continuously to print 24/7. It took over 1,500 hours to complete.