WTF

[Soul Pill]

Of course an mp3 is physical, why would you think it isn't? In terms of sound quality early mono 64kbps mp3s are now being fetishized in certain scenes (early grime & vaporwave). The sound of badly encoded hihats is a thing of beauty.

What has happened with the music industry will happen to all manufacturing industries sooner or later, it's just a matter of time.

[Extreme Mildness]

Well there seems to be some consensus that 3d printing will have a significant impact on the low end of the market. For the high end, I do think there may be some potential, assuming there is suffiently reliable DRM. Surely some designers will try it out, if only to stand out.

As for the non-material aspects of fashion, I think we are already getting a lot of the experience digitally. More people than ever (myself included) buy clothes online without ever having tried them on and follow fashion shows and designers through internet magazines, blogs and forums like SZ itself. So arguably, the pure experience - exclusivity, theater and glamour - has already been diluted to the masses. That's not to say that you can't still get the 'traditional' experience, assuming you're willing to invest a lot more time, money and energy.

In terms of technical feasibility, 3d printing seems to be making strides everyday, and like Arkady said, a printer is similar to a computer (or cd player, tv screen, radio or telephone) in terms of a fixed cost for access to the network. Let's also not forget that production and design go hand in hand, so whatever shoes we might print at home in the future will be different from those we see today. I think this is actually one of the more interesting aspects, because 3d printing can allow for some pretty crazy designs, like this water faucet. On top of that, sizing could be adjusted at will (and even automatically), eliminating one of the major headaches of off the rack clothing.

[GlassOrganelle]

What's going on here? Get your customised Rick Owens sneakers - painted in all the fluro pinks and blues.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Rick-Owen...item28094c2f14

[josecc]

What's going on here? Get your customised Rick Owens sneakers - painted in all the fluro pinks and blues.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Rick-Owen...item28094c2f14

"Stand up leather tongue with mystery girl photo. " We do know who this mystery "girl" is.

[naturalalmonds]

You don't need a computer and internet access to download an MP3? There's your cost of machine and cost of raw material.

Everyone has a computer, and computers are multitaskers.

We can already 3D print human heart valves, houses, skin, guns -- but pants with danglers are a stretch, huh?

Don't be obtuse. You can't print human heart valves, a house, or skin.

Of course an mp3 is physical, why would you think it isn't?

They are immaterial, you can't touch them. They are not physical.

[mrbeuys]

What's going on here?

"Ask me any question!"

Why...

[Law]

There's more than one! Rick Owens SS/16:

RESIZE PHOTO

[Fuuma]

Let's assume the future of 3D printing is to make the current design+production+distribution model obsolete: it would lead to people buying clothing like mp3s. You'd purchase a digital file and producing the object would be up to your own printer or some specialized printing service, which would mean you'd actually buy the "idea" and only the idea and remove all production capabilities from the primary fashion market. This is an interesting possibility to ponder and I don't see why this would not be eventually possible.

[Arkady]

Don't be obtuse. You can't print human heart valves, a house, or skin.

Doesn't get much more obtuse than comparing a 3D printer to a sewing machine -- eat any good books lately?

[DudleyGray]

If there could be a fashion version of Spotify that would allow me to simply be a subscriber of Rick and Comme current season and archives, well that would just be way easier than hunting shops and consignment.

[newp]

If there could be a fashion version of Spotify that would allow me to simply be a subscriber of Rick and Comme current season and archives, well that would just be way easier than hunting shops and consignment.

It's easy with current season I guess at least with Rick as long as you have enough money.

[Faust]

Let's assume the future of 3D printing is to make the current design+production+distribution model obsolete: it would lead to people buying clothing like mp3s. You'd purchase a digital file and producing the object would be up to your own printer or some specialized printing service, which would mean you'd actually buy the "idea" and only the idea and remove all production capabilities from the primary fashion market. This is an interesting possibility to ponder and I don't see why this would not be eventually possible.

My thinking exactly. Still, I cannot wrap my head around how one would print organic materials like leather? And how would you put effects, like wax on jeans? Again, I can see this being the case of making basic apparel, but fashion - not so much.

[Arkady]

Waxing could be a sprayed on coating, leather I don't see happening any time soon unless it was a weave of some sort. Non-fiber organics is a tough one.

[Faust]

How many people are going to be spray-coating shit in their apartments?

Anyway, I can see a few designers making it a thing, but again, this replacing fashion is wishful thinking.

[stagename]

So should we talk about what just happened or sweep it under the rug?