Antwerp Fashion Department, one of the most renowned fashion schools in the world, has always been a breeding ground for creative talents. Master student Violette des Roseaux, a Parisian fashion designer, recently embarked on an extraordinary journey, drawing inspiration from the Greek myth of the nymph Daphne. In the myth, Daphne transforms into a laurel tree to escape the advances of Apollo, embodying a powerful story of metamorphosis.
Violette delved into the myth’s narrative, using it not only to inspire her “Nymphea” fashion collection but also to shape her design vision and choices. She shares, “I worked on the concept of metamorphosis from organic bodies to vegetation. I tried to convey the ideas of growth and blossoming intertwined with the female body through garments and jewelry.
The Nymphea Flower Shoe collection I collaborated on with PrintPlace is a remarkable translation of that concept into an object. It represents a flower growing and eventually embracing the feet, relying on the concept of a platform shoe to make it walkable. This shoe type provided me with a great amount of creative freedom to design around the foot and facilitated the birth of this out-of-this-world aesthetic.”
The Antwerp Fashion Master program challenges students to design a complete fashion collection in a short time frame, often leading to planning and budget constraints. Violette sought a solution and reached out to PrintPlace, a Belgian 3D Printing company founded by passionate engineers with extensive experience in custom product development and production projects.
“Violette engaged us right from the beginning of the project, a crucial aspect in complex projects such as this,” recalls Wesly Jacobs, Co-Founder and Business Leader at PrintPlace. “We provided an abundance of valuable input, guiding the conceptualization and 3D Design process towards efficient prototyping and production through 3D Printing, all while preserving the original design vision of the Nymphea Flower Shoes. We settled on a combination of Desktop 3D Printing technologies to realize the shoe collection in a timely manner and with the high quality expected from haute couture fashion projects.”
The partnership between Violette des Roseaux and PrintPlace allowed her to streamline the design innovation process, freeing her from planning concerns. Violette shares her thoughts, saying, “Thanks to the cooperation with PrintPlace, I could fully dedicate my time to the design of the shoe and of the entire collection, without worrying about whether or not the models could be completed in time. When I saw the first prototypes of the shoes, I was absolutely amazed by the result, and only a few minor adaptations were needed before we could proceed with production, which also went very smoothly.”
This collaboration between Violette des Roseaux and PrintPlace exemplifies the seamless integration of myth, fashion, and cutting-edge technology, resulting in the captivating Nymphea Flower Shoes. The project stands as a testament to the creative spirit of Antwerp’s fashion scene and the innovative capabilities of PrintPlace.
