Alice in 3D Printing Wonderland
For many people, 3D printing just means prototypes and industrial designs, but at i.materialise we’re well aware that this is not true! For us, 3D printing is synonymous with creativity, art, design and even fashion.
3D printing can be used for the design of a beautiful kettle, to create incredible pieces of jewelry, or such as in this case, to bring a pair of dream shoes to life!
Read more about the outlandish 3D shoe designs from Alice Van Opstal.
From sketch to 3D-printed shoes by Alice Van Opstal
When this student of Shoe Design at the SASK (Stedelijke Academie voor Schone Kunst) in Sint-Niklaas had to create a fantastic shoe collection for a project, she decided to use 3D printing. The results were impressive.
Discover Alice Van Opstal’s wonderland!
From a classic book to a piece of fashion
With the help of 3D printing, she designed this Flamingo/Hedgehog shoe, which is part of a collection of four different shoe models called “The war against reality”. They’re inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
Each shoe depicts the characters and atmosphere of the book and this one is from the chapter called “The Queen’s croquet ground”.
Look at the shoes in action on this video!
“When looking for inspiration, any medium or art form might inspire me: graphic art, literature, music, theatre, etc. The idea to use the universe of Lewis Carroll was sparked by a theatre performance by Abattoir Fermé, called Alice,” explains the designer.
Alice in Wonderland. Original drawings by John Tenniel
After that, Alice dove into the books of Lewis Carroll, where she rediscovered the original drawings by John Tenniel. She was inspired by them when drawing her sketches and also in her use of textures.
They’re inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Each shoe depicts the characters and atmosphere of the book and this one is from the chapter called “The Queen’s croquet ground”
3D printing without boundaries
The wonderland of Alice is an absurd, illogical and twisted universe and Alice wanted that to be reflected in the designs. “3D printing allowed me to go all out and use the most complex forms. There were virtually no boundaries.”
Alice decided to use 3D printing for these designs because her boyfriend was taking classes in 3D printing and it seemed like a nice idea to have a shared project. Also, 3D printing technology allowed for such an array of possibilities: crazy shapes, extreme height and great strength.
3D printing technology allowed for the craziest designs
After the first sketches, Alice translated the designs into 3D with Fusion 360. The shoes were 3D printed in Polyamide (SLS). “I chose this material mainly because of the price tag, its strength and the possibilities in size because the heel of my Flamingo/Hedgehog shoe is 30 cm high.”
3D printing allowed me to go all out and use the most complex forms. There were virtually no boundaries
Another good reason for choosing Polyamide for 3D printing was that Alice also wanted to spray-paint the design herself in a specific color of her choice.
3D-printed shoe heel during the spary-painting process
The multiple purposes of 3D printing for fashion
“This was my first experience with 3D printing but I will definitely use 3D printing in the future. For my shoe designs but also for other design purposes. Hopefully, the price will become more and more affordable in the future.”
Alice is currently working on her graduation collection. This time she will use more traditional manufacturing methods like CNC milling to make some wooden heels, but she will rely on 3D-printed parts for the details. We can’t wait to see the results of this project!
This is not the first time that we use 3D printing for fashion. Check out the amazing 3D-printed shoes by Katrien Herdewyn and the Vortex dress by Laura Thapthimkuna.
First sketches for the 3D-printed shoes
Do you have a final project for your studies that you would like to see featured on the blog? Let us know!
We also offer a 10% educational discount for students and teachers. You just have to register here with the official email address of your university or school.
Once your 3D designs are ready, upload them to our 3D printing platform to get an instant quote in the different 3D printing materials that we offer.
