High-tech Dutch fashion designer Anouk Wipprecht has unveiled a new futuristic 3D-printed dress that responds to its environment through LEDs. Created in collaboration with Chromatic 3D Materials, a 3D-printing technology company, the motion-activated design is among the first in the world to directly embed electronics within 3D-printed elastomers. Her creation highlights what the future of creative expression and social interaction may look like as humankind further integrates with technology. 

Wipprecht’s creation demonstrates the practical nature of pliable printable materials, a relatively new development in the world of 3D printing. Compared to the exoskeleton-like quality of other 3D-printed runway creations, her new dress can easily move because it is made with ChromaFlow™ 70, an extremely durable but flexible, rubber-like material known as an elastomer. Garments featuring 3D-printed elastomers still have drape, giving them commercial potential in ready-to-wear clothing, activewear and intimate apparel. Wipprecht’s dress also shows how 3D printing with Chromatic’s elastomers allows designers to print waterproof casing that protects embedded electronics.