Citation
Stylios, G.K. (2013), "Bespoke customisation "BC" by 3D printing", International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, Vol. 25 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCST-08-2013-0094
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Bespoke customisation "BC" by 3D printing
Article Type: Editorial From: International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, Volume 25, Issue 6
Mechanisation, technology, science and engineering have been providing new means of developing, sustaining or reviving the textile industry. Over its long history there have been some significant landmarks of development which we may call revolutions, but in the recent quarter century or so, there have been developments but without any significant leap.
Recently the advent of 3D printing or more precisely its low cost, since 3D printing technology has been in existence for many years, is providing industrial designers with new possibilities for swift new product development. These printers work on the general principle of melting a thermoplastic material which is ejected through a nozzle of a small diameter, whilst being moved mechanically in the XYZ space, depositing thin layers one on top of the other and hence building of an artefact pre-designed in a 3D CAD package, as shown in Figure 1.
The principle of 3D printing
There are many variations of these printers: size, XYZ precision, positioning, nozzle thickness/fineness, capability/versatility of material used and speed. In recent years these printers are being targeting the domestic market and many hobbyists, designers and artists are using them like we use a conventional paper printer at home. This capability has also been explored recently in fashion by pioneering designers such as Iris Van Herpen. Despite the criticism that her creations are like "body armour" rather than garments, new thinking in the science and technology of clothing has been questioning the efficacy of 3D printing of limp fabrics for the making of comfortable garments using fibres/yarns instead of thermoplastic materials. If and when this became a possibility every one of us could either send our garment design to rapid-prototyping shops such as iMark in London, which would print our garment and deliver it by post, or even buying the printer and produce the garment at home. Other products such as jewellery, spectacle frames, shoes and bags are already being made. This will enable us to print our own-bespoke-design wardrobe. If this could be done, then mass customisation will be overtaken by this new technology named "Bespoke Customisation; BC" revolutionising the designing, making, marketing and selling of textiles and garments. Bespoke instead of mass customisation denotes the bespoke, i.e. customer involvement of making their own garments. Another, perhaps more exotic term, maybe "Bespoke Customerisation", here we skew the grammar of the word deliberately to emphasize the customer and therefore meaning not having someone to design and make your preferences, but to rather do them yourself.
This issue completes Volume 25, and with this opportunity I like to thank the publishers Harry Colson and Nikki Chapman who have supported and looked after the IJCST and myself for many years, they are moving on to other exciting things and like to welcome on board our new publisher Emma Bruun.
I, last but not least, want to thank our reviewers by naming some of them for their continuous support; G.A.V. Leaf, D.W. Lloyd, D. Tyler, J. Fan, I. Jones, P. Bandara, N.T. Mao, H. Gong, F. Han, P. Giannoudis, L. Luo, M. Mexiuan, D. Yang, I.M. Yussef, L. McIntyre, A. Kader and like to announce to authors and readers that IJCST will increase its pagination of the next and subsequent volumes to accommodate a larger number of manuscripts.
George K. Stylios
Editor-in-Chief