Galactik Geisha I: Femme Bot Rebellion

Femme Bot: The Milky Way Rebellion 3D Printed Clothes

Where

Most of these pieces will be made to order in a 3D-Print lab but some outﬁts will also be sold online via ecommerce stores (Etsy, Shopify). In addition, the designs/3D models will be sold online on 3D modeling platforms such Sketchfab for DIY printing. Some of these pieces will also be available at festivals & shows/conventions.

Femme Bot will initially be showcased in Spring 2021 at LA, London & Tokyo Fashion Week and Design Week in Holland & Copenhagen. After that the e-commerce site will oﬃcially launch and PR will begin in order to acquire our initial entertainment clients.

Why

The future is here and itʼs called 3D Printing. It is something that has been around for over 30 years under the name stereolithography. However, it was only used by large industries to manufacture parts. The true revolution came when it was made available for personal use by reducing its size and making it easy to use much

3D Printing can help solve poverty and there is no reason everyone shouldnʼt have access to such unique possibilities. I want the up and coming singer or burlesque dancer with a tight budget to be able afford an outfit or the indie film that barely has enough funding to pay its crew, feature clothes with high production value. Itʼs time we change the way we think and dress in whatever way we choose to express ourselves while being part of the revolution.

How

The ﬁrst step is to turn the sketches into 3D models/renders and then print the prototypes in a 3D Printing lab. Both the 3D modeler and lab will be able to give advice and feedback on what is viable and what isnʼt and help modify the designs accordingly. Most of the designs will have their parts 3D printed into separate pieces, which will then be put together with some minor exceptions. After multiple iterations, once the product reaches its MVP stage and passes quality control, we will begin featuring the collection at fashion, design and tech shows all over the world for exposure.

Next phase will be launching an e-shop as well as selling the collection on Etsy and vending at festivals. Some initial funding might be required from a VC or through crowdfunding but it will depend on the ﬁnal quotes the lab sends for building the prototypes. Estimates are $150-$350 for cost of production with each piece being sold between $300-1000. If demand increases, outsourcing to a bigger lab outside of Greece or building our own might be required so as to keep up with sales.

In addition, we will hire a PR ﬁrm to promote the brand within the entertainment industry to attract indie artists and production companies in order to collaborate with them and supply them for their shows/movies. The PR form will also work on getting us featured on various forward-thinking magazines like Monocle, Framer, Mark, Business Insider, Wired and Vice. During festival season we will ramp up promotion and advertise to festivalgoers. Lastly, we will utilize our network in the US to help promote the brand via word of mouth and social media.

Brief

This collection features 5 outfits all 3D-printed from high quality (and sometimes biodegradable) flexible filaments (TPU, ABS, Flexknit, WillowFlex), metal filaments (bronze, copper, steel) and printers (Stratsys, 3D Systems, Fusion3). Each item of clothing is 3D printed in parts and assembled together much like IKEA furniture. The outfits themselves are inspired from Japanese fashion and retrofuturistic styles found in science fiction (Blade Runner, Valerian, Black Panther, Dune etc.).

Based on the concept, the Femme Bots reside on Vega, a faraway star on the constellation of Lyra and their mission is to rescue the Milky Way. Each piece is made for a speciﬁc character that exists and functions within that universe. For example, there is the Galactic Queen who rules over the whole galaxy, the Lyran Samurais that protects and ﬁght for Lyra and the Jester, which is an AI weapon of mass destruction.

This concept is simply an idea on how these 3D printed clothes can be utilized to represent society in a Sci-Fi feature, TV show or a live performance. The idea is to make these outfits affordable enough ($300-$1000) to add high production value to indie projects and artists but to also allow everyday people to inspire others at festivals & events. My desire is to be part of the move towards customized clothing that people can print from the comfort of their own homes. The collection will first appear in major fashion and design shows in Spring of 2021 in Los Angeles, Tokyo & Copenhagen.

The patterns chosen are usually geometric featuring basic shapes like cubes & triangles as well as a variety of fractal-like patterns. This is on one hand practical for the 3D printer to replicate. On the other hand, it tries to emulate a sort of constructed nature as the ultimate purpose is to make biodegradable clothes, which are an extension of nature. As a bonus the patterns evoke a futuristic “feel” and ignite excitement.

The reason behind the Japanese inspiration is because Japan is usually the frontrunner for anything “futuristic” stylistically yet still infuses a lot of its traditional elements. Hence the retro-futuristic aspect I want the collection to express. Moreover, the women wearing these clothes are powerful entities and these outﬁts make sure to convey that vibe. They are literally out of this world and the point is to intimidate, empower and inspire. The colors chosen were deep reds, electric blues, rose pinks and shiny golds to show that the women wearing them are bold and regal.

Concept

The future of the Milky Way seems bleak. It is now up to a few select femme bots to try and save it before it implodes. Located on Vega, the brightest star in the constellation of Lyra, our heroins will take on the forces of the Galactic Empire in the face of almost certain annihilation.

The Jester is a deadly AI weapon that can form black holes that swallow everything in their paths. Our Femme Bots have to ﬁgure out how to steal her back from the Galactic Army and use her to restore order in the Universe.

In this future where woman and machine are one, so are clothes. Created by a 3D printer, while utilizing sacred geometry so abundantly found in nature, they want to make a statement, which is to reawaken the human and alien connection with nature and our galaxy via the technology we have created.

The fate of our Milky Way is in their hands. Will they be able to rescue it in time?

Customer Proﬁle

Women between 25-35 who belong to the Burning Man community & are festivalgoers. Edgy artists like Viktoria Modesta, Niki Minaj, Lady Gaga & Dua Lipa Costume designers in Sci-ﬁ ﬁlms & TV productions such as The Orville, The Expanse, Star Wars, Black Panther, Mars Attacks etc.

Competition

Iris Van Herpen

Iris van Herpen is a Dutch fashion designer who is widely recognized as one of fashionʼs most talented and forward-thinking creators who continuously pushes the boundaries of fashion design. Van Herpen is often hailed as a pioneer in utilizing 3D printing as a garment construction technique, and as an innovator who is comfortable with using technology as one of the guiding principles in her work because of its sculptural nature and unfamiliar form.

https://www.irisvanherpen.com/about

Threeasfour

ThreeASFOUR is a trio of transnational artists based in New York City who use fashion as their primary medium. Founded in 2005 by Gabriel Asfour (b. Lebanon), Angela Donhauser (b. U.S.S.R) and Adi Gil (b. Israel), the collective has built a legacy of fusing cutting-edge technology with traditional craftsmanship to create clothing at the intersection of fashion and art. Drawing their core aesthetic from the universal languages of sacred geometry, threeASFOUR is devoted to the creative exploration of themes of consciousness and cultural coexistence.

https://threeasfour.com/pages/about

Nabil El-Nayal

The designer behind ready-to-wear fashion brand Nabil Nayal, was born in Syria and moved to England at the age of 14. He went on to win many prestigious awards including the Royal Society of Arts Award, the Graduate Fashion Week 'Best Womenswear' Award and the British Fashion Council MA Scholarship Award; enabling him to study at the Royal College of Art. He was the ﬁrst fashion designer in the world to use 3D printing in June 2010 and is currently undertaking a research doctorate in how 3D scanning can become integral to the design process.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nabil_El-Nayal

Francis Bitoni

Founded in 2012 as Francis Bitonti Studio, the ﬁrm has always believed that technology both designs and dictates the direction of culture and human capabilities. Technological trends and strategic development of technology have always been at the center of our design process. They ask their clients to take an aggressive stance towards emerging technology to cultivate new consumer behaviors that create novel brand relationships. “Their products create the next version of the human, not service humanity after it has evolved.”

http://studiobitonti.com/about-studio-bitonti

Noa Raviv

Noa Raviv (born 1987) is an Israeli fashion designer known for her use of grid patterns and employment of 3D printing in her couture creations. Collaborating with the tech printing ﬁrm Stratasys, she developed, marketed and oﬀered a line of 3D printed garments. Some were exhibited in the exhibition Manus X Machina at the Anna Wintour Costume Center in New York City at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Raviv's work has been as described as manifesting the aesthetic phenomenon of hypertexture.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noa_Raviv

Color Board

Lean Canvas

SWOT

✴ Strengths: Early adopter, unique designs/ concept, easily customizable, can be made sustainable.

✴ Weaknesses: Requires expertise, labor-intensive, 3D print materials not very ﬂexible or thin, printing each item takes a long time, not easily scalable.

✴ Opportunities: Can get funding for being sustainable/biodegradable, can be printed from oneʼs own home, untapped ﬁlm/TV/music/festival niche markets.

✴ Threats: A lot of iterations, the public might not be ready for it, could be pushed out if a big corporation in the fashion industry decides to enter the market.