London: Have the perfect dress for the night out but no good heels to go with? Don’t worry. A new technology that promises to revolutionise wardrobes in the future is in the works and will allow you to quickly and cheaply ‘print’ your own perfect shoes at home.
Reuters
According to trend forecaster Jane Monnington Boddy, a director for market analyst Stylesight, within the next decade or so you’ll be able to quickly and cheaply ‘print’ your own perfect shoes at home. “This will revolutionise wardrobes,” she said. “It really is the future of fashion.”
It may sound unbelievable, but crude versions of this new technology are already available for around 600 pounds from certain online electronic shops, the Daily Mail reported.
Like all hi-tech gadgetry, prices are expected to drop as the technology becomes more mainstream. The technology though in its nascent stage is based on 3D printing which operates in a similar way to your inkjet printer, which prints ink in layers to form a image.
Instead of ink, however, a 3D printer uses molten plastic to create a solid object. Hundreds of fine, 0.1mm-thick layers are stuck on top of each other by the machine to produce the item. The printers themselves look like a cross between a microwave and a bread machine, and are about the same size.
To ‘purchase’ the item you require, you need to simply log on to a website, already existing and pick an item you want to make, for instance a pair of shoes. You’ll pay a small amount (delicate bangles and rings start at 8 pounds , while a white mesh handbag is 15 pounds) then the design is ‘downloaded’ to your computer.
One can simply use the 3D printer to make the product layer by layer, and wear them to a party. The technology potentially also saves more than just time and money. “3D printing cuts out shipping, so it’s eco-friendly, too,” Boddy said.
PTI
