TraditionallyModern:Bridging
Ancient Indian
Culture with3D Printing atthe Fashion
Institute ofTechnology

Case Study

This is museum gradework. This is beyond acollege fashion show.
Amy Sperber

Asst Professor, FIT
The “Traditionally Modern” design by Hemani Kumar is a stunning exampleof how traditional Indian culture can be blended with modern 3D printing
technology to create contemporary fashion.

2“Blending the old with the new” is something fashion designers do
every single day. From modern twists on past trends, to futuristic runway
ensembles that are reminiscent of your grandmother’s wardrobe staple.
But when Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) student, Hemani Kumar,
blends old and new, she takes it to the extreme.
Uniting ultra-modern 3D-printed embellishment with traditional
influences, she forms a bridge between ancient Indian culture and thefuture of fashion.

Challenge
Hemani’s goal was to reimagine the traditional sari- steeped in centuries of cultural significance - as amodern garment.
“I wanted to create a piece that embraced thisheritage, while shifting to a more modern outlook.
Creating a bridge between the old traditional sari andwhat we now believe a sari could be and contrastingold, beautiful designs with modern technology,”
explains Hemani.
FIT is part of the State University of New York andis lauded as “an MIT for the Fashion Industries”. 3D
printing has been embraced by the fashion world, due
to the ability to print rigid, lightweight structural pieces,
embellishments, and fixings with textures and effects
that could not possibly be reached with traditional
methods. Although the technology is relatively new
to the industry, FIT has made a variety of applications
available to students for their design projects. Iris vanHerpen was one of the first in the fashion industry
to use 3D printing, and Hemani hails the innovative
Dutch designer’s work as her inspiration.
Case
Document
Study Title Here2

With the support of Assistant Professor at FIT, Amy
Sperber, an evangelist for the use of 3D printing infashion, Hemani set about modernizing the traditionalsari, taking inspiration from both Western culture andher Indian roots to create a contemporary piece.

Hemani Kumar, a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology and thedesigner of the “Traditionally Modern” sari.

Without Stratasys’s directto-textile 3D printing
technology, it wouldn’t
have been the same piece.
Hemani Kumar

Graduate, FIT

3Solution
Hemani worked together with the Stratasys
fashion team to turn her designs of astonishing
3D embellishment sections for the collar, sleevesand legs into reality.
Stratasys 3DFashion™ is a powerful 3D printing
technology that is transforming the fashionindustry with direct-to-textile printing in full color.
Clear print and perfect adhesion on a variety offabrics enables designers to create spectacular
designs and fantastical optical illusionary effects
with color and light.
In order to ensure that the whole design reflecteda cohesive look and feel, the colors in theembellishments were mimicked in the floral print
on the bodysuit and the collar piece is cut tofollow the contours of the neckline.
“I learned so much in a single semester! I ran
into several problems that I had to overcome; it
was such a steep learning curve for me,” says
Hemani.
“For instance, the mesh fabric had minimal
stretch after it had been 3D printed, so my seams
were harder to match. And it was hard to get theembellished fabric into the machine. I broke somany needles! But in the end the whole piececame together and looks cohesive.”
Hemani’s design embellishments were 3D printed
on the Stratasys J850™ TechStyle™. This directto-textile 3D printer ensures superior surface
adhesion as the mesh fabric is “sandwiched”
between thin layers of resin.

Case
Document
Study Title Here

3Image taken during the design process offers aglimpse into the future of fashion and the exciting
possibilities presented by 3D printing technology
in creating unique and innovative designs.

There is a generation
ready to express theirdesigns in a new way.
Amy Sperber

Asst Professor, FIT

4Impact
Not just cohesive, Hemani’s design was a huge
hit at FIT’s Future of Fashion 2023 show, andProfessor Sperber is clearly impressed withHemani’s achievement: “This is museum gradework. This is beyond a college fashion show.”
Vogue was in attendance, and Hemani’s design
was praised in the magazine’s coverage of theevent.
Professor Sperber is excited about the futureof fashion with 3D printing technology: “Thistechnology is the missing link of the engineering
aspect of fashion design. It will have far-reaching
applications for closures and accessibility as wellas creating structural pieces and embellishments
like these. This technology will change everything.
It won’t be an overnight change, but there is ageneration ready to express their designs in a
new way.”
Hemani expounds how the 3D element of thedesign is part of the whole garment from concept
to creation, not simply an addition. “Aside from thespeed of 3D printing directly to the fabric, versus
sewing or gluing individual embellishments, it justwouldn’t have been possible to get the same effect.
The 3DFashion design team at Stratasys
has enabled me to create something unique.
Without their direct-to-textile 3D printing technology,
it wouldn’t have been the same piece”.
The sari is travelling back to India with Hemani aftergraduation, where she has plans to create a line ofgarments with 3D printed elements in a similar vein.
We are delighted to have been part of her showstopping creation, and excited to follow her career!

Case Study

Image, courtesy of Vogue magazine, shows the “Traditionally Modern”
design by Hemani Kumar. The model is wearing the sari with its 3D-printedembellishments on the collar, sleeves, and legs.

USA - Headquarters
7665 Commerce Way
Eden Prairie, MN 55344, USA+1 952 937 3000

EMEA
Airport Boulevard B 12077836 Rheinmünster, Germany+49 7229 7772 0

ISRAEL - Headquarters
1 Holtzman St., Science ParkPO Box 2496
Rehovot 76124, Israel+972 74 745 4000

SOUTH ASIA
1F A3, Ninghui Plaza
No.718 Lingshi Road
Shanghai, China+86 21 3319 6000

GET IN TOUCH.
www.stratasys.com/contact-us/locations

stratasys.com
ISO 9001:2015 Certified© 2023 Stratasys Ltd. All rights reserved. Stratasys, Stratasys signet, J850, TechStyle and 3DFashion are trademarks or registered trademarksof Stratasys Ltd. and/or its subsidiaries or affiliates and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. All other trademarks belong to their respective
owners. Product specifications subject to change without notice. CS_PJ_3DFashion_FIT NY_A4_0623a