Andrew Garfield wore a Brooks Brothers made-to-measure blue tailcoat with coordinating light blue vest, dress shirt, and bow tie. He will also be wearing Zac Posen x GE Additive x Protolabs Rose cuff links. These cuff links will be a dramatic red and gold which will represent a scaled down version of the rose gown, with Zac Posen’s logo integrated into the design. The rose cuff links are made of MicroFine Green material and printed on a stereolithography (SLA) machine. The cuff links are finished with color changing red and gold paint.

Vito Schnabel wore a Brooks Brothers made-to-measure navy velvet peak lapel dinner jacket with white dress shirt, black bow tie and black tuxedo pant. He will also be wearing Zac Posen x GE Additive x Protolabs Rose cuff links. These cuff links will be a dramatic red and gold which will represent a scaled down version of the rose gown with Zac Posen’s logo integrated into the design. The rose cuff links are made of MicroFine Green material and printed on a stereolithography (SLA) machine. The cuff links are finished with color changing red and gold paint.

Collaboration & the power of 3D Printing

Fashion designers traditionally use hand-drawn sketches, before draping fabric on a mannequin to form and shape their creations. By combining conceptual thinking, tried and tested techniques from fashion design, computer aided design and 3D printing, the collaboration with GE Additive and Protolabs has resulted in a range of garments that are unprecedented for House of Z, if not for the entire fashion industry.

3D printing offers unique capabilities, such as near-complete design freedom, enabling the manufacture of designs that would have been difficult to achieve using other traditional methods of fashion design.

The majority of the garments were manufactured at Protolabs’ US additive manufacturing facility near Raleigh, North Carolina, while the bustier was made in Protolabs’ Feldkirchen, Germany facility. The titanium cage for the rose gown, which provides the structure on which the petals attach, was printed at the GE Additive Technology Center in Cincinnati.

GE Additive and Protolabs have worked closely together for a long time, including formally collaborating on development of 3D printing technology and production processes, so working together on this project was a natural fit.

GE Additive has brought its deep experience in mechanical and industrial design, creative and complex CAD modeling, and additive design for a range of modalities to the collaboration.

Protolabs has brought its wealth of industry expertise across a wide range of manufacturing processes, materials and industries. Its expertise in high-quality 3D printing and additive manufacturing spans both polymer and metal technologies along with numerous custom finishing options. Custom finishing was of particular interest to Zac Posen’s team, given the custom polishing and painting work that was performed on all the pieces, including the rose gown.

What might seem like an unlikely collaboration of design engineers and Zac Posen - one of the fashion industry's leading lights, at the forefront of innovation - in fact makes complete sense when you consider the transformative impact 3D printing is having on our everyday lives.

Online Media Room

High-resolution images, assets and the complete press pack for the collaboration is available online at: https://www.pressreleasefinder.com/2019/Zac-Posen-GE-Additive-Protolabs-Met-Gala/

The Met Gala - Often referred to as “fashion’s biggest night out,” the Met Gala is a pinnacle of iconic style. A fundraising benefit for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the 6 May, 2019 event welcomes celebrity stars, young creatives, and industry paragons alike. The gala also signifies the highly anticipated grand opening of the Costume Institute’s annual fashion exhibition: “Camp: Notes on Fashion” opening on 9 May, 2019.

About Zac Posen/ House of Z - Zac Posen launched his namesake label at the age of 21. In February 2002, he debuted his ready-to-wear collection in New York City. The presentation captured the attention of key fashion editors and retailers, signaling the presence of a new force within international fashion. Following the success of this presentation, Posen quickly established his design studio in Tribeca. Since this date, Zac Posen has remained committed to his vision of artfully crafted, innovative ready-to-wear for women worldwide. His strong, feminine aesthetic has become a favorite of style leaders.

About GE Additive GE Additive – part of GE (NYSE: GE) is a world leader in additive design and manufacturing, a pioneering process that has the power and potential to transform businesses. Through our integrated offering of additive experts, advanced machines and quality materials, we empower our customers to build innovative new products. Products that solve manufacturing challenges, improve business outcomes and help change the world for the better. GE Additive includes additive machine providers Concept Laser and Arcam EBM; along with additive material provider AP&C.

About Protolabs Protolabs is the world’s fastest digital manufacturing source for rapid prototyping and on-demand production. The technology-enabled company produces custom parts and assemblies in as fast as 1 day with automated 3D printing, CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, and injection molding processes. Its digital approach to manufacturing enables accelerated time to market, reduces development and production costs, and minimizes risk throughout the product life cycle.