Designing Fashion Accessories with 3D Printing – the Unique Collection of Cambiamente D&S

In the world of fashion there’s always a place for those who think creatively and strive to challenge their designs and, more importantly, their production habits. In order to stay relevant you need to find new solutions, come up with bold ideas. Fundamentally speaking, creativity is born out of innovation, is it not?

For Cambiamente D&S, an emerging company working straight out of Italy and in Spain, that’s what seems to be their source of inspiration – making original designs for as many people as possible, so that every customer can feel special and that they have a piece that has been custom made for them.

As these things tend to start, many creative brands are set up by accident and such is the case with Cambiamente. It all actually began with printing t-shirts. Davis Mensi, the brand’s creative director, used some transfer paper and ironed-on different designs just for himself. At first, it was just about creating a sense of belonging, a kind of totemic right of appropriation. But as his skills grew, he decided to create a small collection of T-shirts with his drawings and art in a limited capacity to give that same sense of uniqueness to others, so that they could feel special as well.

However, as your skills and technique get better, you need to continue to grow your brand as well. Soon, simply making T-shirts wasn’t enough and Davis began to work on jewelry and designer accessories to rejuvenate himself creatively. However, as his group of customers also grew at an exponential rate, he needed some tool to help him rapidly design and produce his creations on a larger scale but ones that still feel special and custom-made. That’s exactly where the technology of 3D printing comes into play.They bought their first 3D printer about one and a half year ago and they decided on Zortrax M200 because of the excellent reviews from various customers and due to some word of mouth recommendation from a friend who also used Zortrax products. One of the most prolific features of the printer is its ease of use and accessibility, something that was really important for Davis as he was just starting his journey with additive manufacturing. He quickly realized that the reviews were not lying as he didn’t need to learn any complex assembly or calibration and he maintains till this day that Zortrax plug & play device didn’t cause him any hussle whatsoever.

Davis is quick to add that “the benefits are its simplicity of use and the degree of precision in the prints, and above all the saving of time in not having to redesign a certain piece from scratch”. Precision and time-saving are naturally two other advantages of using 3D printers. The technology allows the undeniably pivotal opportunity to test various designs quickly and decide on different iterations. This was especially important for Cambiamente whose mission statement is to create personalized designs which wouldn’t be otherwise possible. Thanks to rapid prototyping they can also make fast corrections and create accessories possessing the utmost precision.

The economical factor was also of paramount importance for the company. Buying their own 3D printer allowed them to save money that would otherwise be spent on a third-party manufacturer and they can immediately and cost-effectively print their designs in house. “For now, I use the printer to make prototypes and finished pieces. The costs of 3D printing are definitely good, and I’m very satisfied with them. It simplifies my work a lot because I can do everything by myself, avoiding external costs.”

Using 3D printing to create end-use products is probably the most exciting feature of the technology. The materials that allow the sturdiest prints and ones that can definitely be used to produce customer ready jewelry are Z-ABS and Z-ULTRAT and these are the ones Cambiamente decided on while they were testing different solutions. Not only do these materials work perfectly within the Zortrax ecosystem but they are also very easy to use in the post-processing stage.

Cambiamente’s post-production is a varied process that depends on the material in use. Z-ULTRAT is processed through acetone vapors to give it a shiny and glossy effect, whereas Z-ABS pieces are smoothed with abrasive paper, later any imperfections are being found and filled in and finally the models go through painting, priming processes and finally the application of a protective varnish. The jewelry is then immediately ready for packaging and shipment to clients. It’s as simple as that.

Now the brand’s plans are to expand their company and hire even more creative mind and new blood in order to create even more varied designs. Their most recent project that they are developing is to give new life to old bow ties with a central ring with different shapes embellished in its center. The hopes are also to consolidate the brand, making it known as much as possible and being able to collaborate with companies in the fashion or design sector with fresh and stimulating projects that will cater to the imagination of any and all of their potential future customers. After all, Cambiamente’s motto is “if you can dream it, you can do it.”

You can read more about 3D printing for fashion and design in our articles about ATOMY and the use of Zortrax materials in the production of the handles for their handbags. You might also be interested in reading about other durable fashion prints of Christina Franceschini and her high heels.