Kimberlyn Cho- Looking Outwards- 03

Iris van Herpen collaborated with various designers and architects to create 3D printed magnetic dresses and accessories called “Magnetic Motion”. Her inspiration for this SPRING/SUMMER 2015 collection came from a Swiss scientific research facility called CERN, which researches and manufactures magnetic fields in incredible scales. Herpen experimented with different metal-infused materials with magnets to avoid repetition in her designs, as well as techniques such as injection moulding and laser cutting to emphasize details and complexity. Her diversity in use of materials and minimal color palette give each piece a different focus while maintaining a cohesive story.

I was intrigued by the practical use of digital fabrication in every day life. Generative art, specifically digital fabrication, is often used in the context of installations due to its intricate process and limit in medium and form. However, Herpen uses the process in a more applicable approach for the general public. She shows the promising future of digital fabrication by using it to create something directly usable by people. I found this approach very practical, innovative, and suggestive of a future most definitely more reliant on digital fabrication than now.