Last month, Dutch fashion designer Jef Montes had a debut in Paris with his Tormenta collection, which balances on the borders of fashion and art. In the fashion show during the Paris Fashion Week, Montes showed, amongst other things, clothes that changed shape under the influence of steam, and 3D printed, nylon shoes combined with leather.

Tormenta means storm, and Montes’ aim is to show materials that arise and develop like a storm around the body. Montes studied materials that are commonly used on ships like brass, carbon, fibreglass, and nylon, to create technical fabrics for the fashion show.

The materials are on the border of transformation process, like fabric that dissolves when it comes into contact with water. The clothes, black and silver in the photos and adorned with Swarovski crystals, were dissolved during the fashion show using a steam installation, transforming satin into plissé. For more about the dissolving fabric, click here.

The 3D printed shoes were made in collaboration with Chris van den Elzen and Shapeways Eindhoven. The shoes are made from nylon and leather, epoxy resin, paint, and screws. They combine a modern technique, 3D printing, with traditional craftsmanship.

During the catwalk show, in total 30 creations were presented, with materials developed at Textiellab in Textielmuseum Tilburg.

For all materials by Jef Montes at Materia, click here.

Photos: Montes (runway) / Studio Chris van den Elzen (shoes)