Gallery: This Dress Is Made From 3-D Printed Plastic, But Flows Like Fabric

  • Image may contain Clothing Apparel Human Person Lingerie and Underwear
    Nervous System
    01

    3d-dress-0010-Layer 23

    A new software tool called Kinematics makes it easy to turn plastic into posh duds.
  • Image may contain Dance Pose Leisure Activities Dress Clothing Apparel Human Person Female Dance and Woman
    Nervous System
    02

    3d-dress-0002-Layer 31

    Boston-based design studio Nervous System, led by Jessica Rosenkrantz and Jesse Louis-Rosenberg developed Kinematics after previously working on a similar project for Google.
  • Image may contain Clothing Apparel Skirt Human and Person
    Nervous System
    03

    3d-dress-0012-Layer 21

    This little black dress is made from tiny, interlocking bricks of plastic.
  • Image may contain Clothing Apparel Dress Human Person and Lace
    Nervous System
    04

    3d-dress-0004-Layer 29

    "Frankly, when you work on something complex like this in a completely digital world for so long, the biggest surprise is that it actually works as intended, from the compressing to the fit, draping, and movement," says Rosenkrantz.
  • The Kinematics software breaks the model down into triangular segments of varying sizes which are outfitted with builtin...
    Nervous System
    05

    dress-kinematics

    The Kinematics software breaks the model down into triangular segments of varying sizes which are outfitted with built-in hinges. Designers can control the size, placement, and quantity of the triangles and preview how the changes will impact the polygonal pinafore.
  • Image may contain Rug
    Nervous System
    06

    3d-dress-0032-Layer 1

    An X-Ray of the chain mail like material reveals the hidden hinges.
  • Image may contain Nature Human Person Outdoors Clothing Apparel and Snow
    Nervous System
    07

    3d-dress-0029-Layer 4

    The printing process takes over two days and results in a boulder-sized block of dusty plastic.
  • Image may contain Human and Person
    Nervous System
    08

    3d-dress-0030-Layer 3

    Technicians excavate the dress hidden in the mass of plastic.
  • Image may contain Human Person Clothing Apparel Banister and Handrail
    Nervous System
    09

    3d-dress-0020-Layer 13

    At $3,000 a pop, don't expect to see Kinematics clothing on bargain racks, but it is making a mark on fashion and tech.
Read More
Save With Our KitchenAid Promo Codes This April
Save on every purchase with top KitchenAid coupons from WIRED, including up to 20% off countertop appliances.
Molly Higgins
Top Design Within Reach Promo Codes for April 2026
Get 30% off, 20% off, and free shipping with our Design Within Reach coupon codes, plus up to 50% off furniture with these special discounts.
Nena Farrell
Top Sam's Club Promo Codes and Membership Deals for April 2026
Save on bulk groceries, household essentials, and electronics with a verified Sam's Club promo code or membership discount.
Molly Higgins
Target Promo Codes for April 2026
Get $50 off your next order or up to 50% off site wide with Target coupon codes and Circle deals.
Molly Higgins
US Special Forces Soldier Arrested for Polymarket Bets on Maduro Raid
The master sergeant allegedly used classified intel to profit on the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, marking the first US arrest for insider trading on a prediction market.
Kate Knibbs
Newly Deciphered Sabotage Malware May Have Targeted Iran’s Nuclear Program—and Predates Stuxnet
Researchers have finally cracked Fast16, mysterious code capable of silently tampering with calculation and simulation software. It was created in 2005—and likely deployed by the US or an ally.
Andy Greenberg
Rednote Draws a Line Between China and the World
As the platform expands abroad, it’s taking steps to separate Chinese users from the international audiences it once brought together.
Zeyi Yang
Apple’s Next Chapter, SpaceX and Cursor Strike a Deal, and Palantir’s Controversial Manifesto
In this week’s episode of Uncanny Valley, we talk about Tim Cook’s legacy as CEO at Apple and what his long-rumored departure means for the future of one of the world's biggest companies.
Brian Barrett
At 'AI Coachella,' Stanford Students Line Up to Learn From Silicon Valley Royalty
CS 153 has gone viral on the Palo Alto campus—and on X. Not everyone is happy about it.
Maxwell Zeff
Palantir Employees Are Starting to Wonder if They're the Bad Guys
Interviews with current and former Palantir employees, along with internal Slack messages obtained by WIRED, suggest a workforce in turmoil.
Makena Kelly
This Is the Only Office Lamp That Does Double Duty on My Nightstand
Portable lamps are rarely, if ever, as powerful, precise, and multipurpose as the Lume Cube Edge Light Go.
Matthew Korfhage
These New Smart Glasses From Ex-OnePlus Engineers Have a Hidden Cost
The Kickstarter-funded glasses from L'Atitude 52°N have AI features bundled for one year, but the company doesn't know yet how much it will charge for access after that.
Boone Ashworth