ARTIST AND ARCHITECT CREATES 3D PRINTED NATIONAL DRESS
Never before has an Australian National Costume for a modelling contest been designed by an architect and wearable-art artist. Even more remarkable is that this dress will be 3D printed.
The Miss Multiverse Australia national costume has been designed by award-winning artist, Erica Gray and her architect partner, Zoran Zivanovic. The pair was approached by the National Director, Yolandi Franken, after working together on a Vivid Sydney project earlier in the year.
Ms Gray says: “We are thrilled and honoured to be involved in the Miss Multiverse Australia contest. Making of the Miss Multiverse Australia finalist’s Australiana themed ensemble, and its production is well underway to showcase Australia’s talents.”
The national winner, Gabrielle Keaton will be wearing the dress in November when representing Australia at the world finals in the Dominican Republic.
Miss Multiverse Australia is a new contest and reality TV show that is launching in Australia this year. This comes after the show’s great success in America and South America over the last few years.
About the National Dress
Erica’s designs are often informed by a combination of traditional and modern techniques. They are referenced from built structures, natural formations, organic forms and imagined melded combinations.
This National Costume is primarily inspired more by natural and aquatic landscapes such as native wattle, coral and crystal formations. It also makes reference to iconic architectural landmarks such as our own Sydney Opera House.
These references, the material and visual combination mesh the traditionally analog sewing techniques with more modern fabrication technologies to permeate. Throughout the whole process from dress design, assemblage process, and specific material selection; essentially a modern-age handcrafted, machine h the traditionally analog sewing techniques with more modern fabrication technologies to permeate. Throughout the whole process from dress design, assemblage process, and specific material selection; essentially a modern-age handcrafted, machine drawn, componentry printed, cottage industry design.
Zoran Zivanovic, an established architect, has allowed himself to be another tool in the process by collaborating and helping in the conversion of my hand-drawn sketches into a digital format readily printable as 3D models. Working together they constructed and formed sometimes very differing portions of the dress. The overall vision and co-operation came together like a layered puzzle.
This combination created a dress that was stylish and contemporary; a dress built from layers of sculptured design, freehand 3Doodled extrusions, 3D printed componentry, even a little lighting. The design is representative as their interpretation of one of our most recognisable landmarks, our national flora emblems, and a beautiful backdrop to our beautiful Australian representative.
About Erica Gray
Erica Gray is an award-winning soft sculpture and wearables artist. She has an interest in traditional sewing techniques as well as technology-based and infused methods. Often she merges these processes into her art pieces.
She utilises elements such as freehand extruded printing, machine-based 3D printing, synthetic materials as well as incorporating Augmented Reality and Artificial Luminescence effects.
Her work has been displayed nationally and internationally in events such as the World of Wearable Art Awards Show in New Zealand in which she is a finalist, BDYHAX tech/fashion Texas, as well as the Paradigm Gallery + Studio, both in the USA. There have also been a number of exhibitions within Australian regional galleries and events, with the most recent being Townsville’s 2017 Strand Ephemera exhibition where Erica took home the “Award for Artistic Excellence”.
About Zoran Zivanovic
As for Zoran, an Artist in different forms, Zoran Zivanovic, director, and owner of Zoran Architecture, is also an award-winning architect based on the Gold Coast, Queensland. Having over 30 years of experience behind him in the architectural field, he holds a strong bond for the design, detailing and construction processes Architecture entails and also has a deep interest in all things technology. His greatest interest is the blending of technology and architecture… more so the processes for design, visualisation, and pre-construction rather than the implementation of technology within construction. His design thesis “The Evolution of Virtual Cities” was his first foray into this meshing, and has followed on with other interests such as Virtual Reality, 3D Visualisation, 3D Printing, Software Coding, and Circuitry.