Researchers develop dress from 4D printer

Researchers from MIT and the fashion company Ministry of Supply have developed a 4D printed dress. It can be adjusted as often as you like and should be particularly sustainable.

New technologies enable increased effectiveness in many areas. This can, among other things, enable the development of better quality goods and services. The MIT Self-Assembly Lab recently went one step further in collaboration with fashion company Ministry of Supply.

They developed a 4D knit dress based on active fibers and an innovative knitting process. The garment should be able to be individually adapted to the wearer's body shape and style through heat activation. Tailored fashion could therefore become the standard in the future.

However, for most people, the cost of traditional custom-made products was too high. However, the new technology could revolutionize the fashion industry.

4D printed dress can be adjusted using heat

The 4D dress combines multiple technologies to create a personalized fit and style. It represents a further development of active textiles that the Self-Assembly Lab has been working with for several years. The specially developed yarns can change their shape, modify their properties and are also breathable.

The 4D knitted dress is based on experiences students gained with active textiles. The fashion company Ministry of Supply contributed its knowledge of stable yarns, colors and sizes. Potential buyers could wear the garment in one shape and structure for months and then change the design at will using heat.

There is hardly any waste with the 4D knitted dress

The dress is in contrast to “fast fashion”, which focuses on inexpensive and short-lived clothing. Unlike the traditional “cut and sew” process in the fashion industry, the 4D knit dress is made entirely in one piece, reducing a lot of waste.

This development could pave the way for a more sustainable fashion industry by drastically reducing the amount of waste. Because fewer fabric scraps are created during production. At the same time, retailers no longer have to dispose of remaining stock at the end of each season.

Also interesting: