Envisioning the era of 3D printing: a conceptual model for the fashion industry

Introduction A novel technology often leads to some forms of disruptions that are a result of the average consumer applying new tools in their everyday lives (Lipson and Kurman 2013). The birth of additive manufacturing, commonly known as three-dimensional printing (3DP) technology, took place in 1984 and is finally bringing us to a time of the third industrial revolution (Barnatt 2013). In the last few years, the capabilities of 3DP technology have generated much discussion and media exposure in industry and academia, detailing what may have been previously imaginable only in science fiction. To meet the trending technology of 3DP, the fashion industry has begun promoting innovation through exploring ways to integrate digital fabrication methods to promote innovation (Howarth 2013). In the last few years, 3DP has been explored in accessory and footwear markets (Nike football 2014; Treggiden 2014; Sher 2015). Other pioneers, like van Herpen (2017) and Chanel (Robinson 2015), in the couture fashion sector are experimenting with 3DP Abstract