3D Printed Fashion Hits the Runway

3D printed fashion has literally come into vogue and enabled designers to expand their craft in new ways.

In London this past fall, the critically acclaimed Shoes by Bryan début collection Heavy Metal Series generated buzz in fashion and technology circles at the 3D Print Show as products of more advanced 3D printing technologies are being perfected and refined for the collection’s eventual release to market.

Bryan Oknyansky of Shoes By Bryan continues to push forward and has made a landmark breakthrough in the global pursuit to bring 3D printing into our everyday lives – like 3D printing a pair of shoes from home.

Says Oknyansky, “The day the 3D Touch 3D printer arrived at the studio I powered it up and immediately started printing prototypes of Split Heels. This is my first design that I could make completely from my studio without outsourcing production. One month later I had 13 cutting-edge high heels ready for the catwalk at a fraction of the cost. It’s a real game-changer and it will soon change how shoes are made and sold.”

Interview with the Designer

We asked Oknyansky for a few updates on his innovative 3D printed fashion business. Here’s a transcript of our interview.

On 3D Printing: What is the latest on your debut collection or other collections since the 3D Print Show in London? Have you been selling in retail or online?

In keeping with the momentum from last season’s Fashion Fringe 2012 winning collaboration, Shoes By Bryan announces the visionary footwear label has initiated its first limited sale direct through the brand. Having kicked off a limited sale of the latest 3D printed design Split Heels at Bloody Gray Press Days SS13, Shoes By Bryan has sold 11 pairs of Split Heels – the world’s first eco-friendly bio-plastic 3D printed high heel shoes that can be worn like traditional shoes, and can almost be printed from home. As Split Heels are composed of three main parts, Oknyansky opened up a number of colour styling options to private buyers of first edition Split Heels and named pairs with unique colour combinations after the buyers who styled them.

Equipped with a Bits From Bytes 3D Touch plastic extrusion 3D printer from 3D Systems, designer Bryan Oknyansky was able to take orders on a limited release of 10 made to measure pairs of Split Heels two months in advance of Christmas. The first 10 pairs were sold to private buyers in the US, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, and Brazil. With an order placed for Valentine’s Day 2013 and 100% of buyers reporting 100% love for their Split Heels, Oknyansky has committed to extending the first edition of Split Heels to 100 pairs directly through the company.

Shoe lovers and art collectors from around the world can place an order for a numbered edition of the first 100 pairs of first edition Split Heels – complete with a certificate signed by the designer himself – by emailing sales@shoesbybryan.com to receive details on available colours and design options.

On his decision to extend the first edition to 100 made-to-measure pairs, Oknyansky says: “Split Heels are the first of their kind in the world. The process of making Split Heels is on the leading edge of technology, which makes them experimental art works as well as statement shoes. As such, buying a pair of Split Heels is different from buying an ordinary pair of heels. My clients have bought their Split Heels as much because they are amazing and perfectly comfortable statement shoes as they are collectible art works from an emerging artist. They see it as an investment that will make way for more visionary footwear from me and the Shoes By Bryan brand.”

The additional 89 pairs of the extended first edition 100 pair limited release of Split Heels are available to order directly through emailing sales@shoesbybryan.com and will be produced in monthly batches of up to 20 pairs per month beginning Summer 2013. The award-winning designer has set the starting price for these personalised, made-to-measure, collectible art statement shoes at a competitive £390.

On 3D Printing: How do you plan to scale up production to meet demand? Will shoes be 3D printed to a size or personalized for each customer?

Scaling up production of Split Heels requires getting more plastic extruding 3D printers on board. Ultimately, the printing process used to produce Split Heels is not fast enough to sustain long runs of the design. Therefore,the decision was made to release Split Heels in limited runs. Currently all Split Heels can be personalised as any standard shoe size can be ordered and the buyer can choose up to two colours from an assortment of options at the base price of £390 with slight increases in final price if additional colours are chosen.

On 3D Printing: What’s next for Shoes by Bryan?

Next up for Shoes By Bryan is to bring 3D printed fashion and innovative footwear to the world. 3D printing and other digital fabrication tools allowed my brand to hit the world stage in a short space of time, rich only in design. With press exposure begetting more exposure and demand steadily growing, the brand will continue to leverage alternative manufacturing technologies along with current and new industry alliances to grow.

Photo Gallery

Below is a gallery of the 3D printed fashion collection Shoes By Bryan on the runway. Click for larger images.

Follow news and updates on www.shoesbybryan.com, on facebook.com/shoesbybryan and on Twitter @ShoesByBryan. For more information on the technology provided by 3D Systems go to www.bitsfrombytes.com or www.3Dsystems.com.

Photo credit: Mel Bagshaw Photography used by permission from Shoes By Bryan.