Created in collaboration with manufacturer Stratasys, 2015’s Sporophyte Collection from Julia Koerner explores biomimicry through 3D printed, ready-to-wear fashion.

The collection includes three couture pieces: the Hymenium Jacket, the Kelp Necklace and the Kelp Jacket, which were inspired by the forms of seaweed, kelp and even the underside of Portobello mushrooms. To generate her designs, Koerner scanned these organic objects in order to generate striking 3D fashion geometries, which were then printed into these beautifully crafted pieces.

Each item was 3D printed on an Objet500 Connex3 multi-color, multi-material 3D printer with Polyjet digital materials from Stratasys. While many people think of 3D printed objects as being ‘hard’, the combination of rigid and rubber digital printing materials allows for extreme wearability. “It was very important that these intricate pieces maintained a flexible aesthetic,” explains Koerner. “Stratasys digital materials enable designers to produce the unique combination of rigid and flexible pieces that behave more like a garment, allowing the material to work with the body as it moves about.”

Koerner is currently working towards optimizing her 3D printing techniques and processes, which could result in a complete overhaul in the way clothes are manufactured today. A lecturer at UCLA, she also is the founder of her own design company, JK Design GmbH, based in Salzburg. Future plans involve a merger with Paris embroidery house Maison Lesage, fueling a fusion of traditional materials with always changing and inspiring world of 3D printing.

You can find out more about 3D printing with Polyjet digital materials and some of the resulting designs here.

Photography: Ger Ger. 2015 
For Schön! Magazine (UK), September Issue #Icons