Designer Susan Fang, who has labored with high-profile manufacturers like Nike, Swarovski, and UGG, has now collaborated with tech big Apple on a sequence of 3D printed cellphone circumstances. The merchandise, launched via the designer’s eponymous model, are made for the iPhone 17 Professional and combine nature-inspired design components and natural textures.
3D printed from versatile thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), the cellphone circumstances are characterised by their colourful profiles and their three dimensional floral sample. Based on Fang, the iPhone equipment had been “designed with an idea to imitate nature’s formulation… [capturing] peach blossoms in full bloom.” The worldwide designer collaborated with industrial designer Orelio De Jonghe—the top of Footwear and Equipment Design at SUSAN FANG—to deliver the equipment to life.
Whereas the 3D printed iPhone circumstances are available for purchase by way of the model’s web site (with a retail price beginning at $138), it’s price mentioning that Fang and Apple hosted a particular exhibition in Shanghai the place further equipment had been introduced, together with iPad covers, Apple Watch bands, and AirPod circumstances. Notably, Apple’s expertise was used within the design course of, with Fang leveraging design software program instruments on Mac and iPad to create the complicated 3D fashions. “The exhibition affords a behind-the-scenes glimpse into our artistic course of, revealing how our model imaginative and prescient and collections are developed from idea to creation,” the designer wrote. “Powered by the efficiency of Mac and iPad, our artistic concepts proceed to bloom.”
Utilizing 3D printing to fabricate the cellphone circumstances has enabled the model to make them on a made-to-order foundation. Based on SUSAN FANG, every cellphone circumstances is 3D printed at its Atelier studio and is hand dyed. The case’s floral motif is a signature of Fang, who usually integrates nature-inspired components and flower buildings into her designs, whether or not its material flowers adorning a prime or gown or a 3D printed peach blossom tennis gown made in collaboration with Nike.
The collab is much from Apple’s solely foray into the world of 3D printing. The tech big has been more and more leveraging the expertise in recent times for end-use manufacturing. Most just lately, it revealed the way it used titanium additive manufacturing to create the USB-C port for the iPhone Air and the case for the Apple Watch 11 and Apple Watch Extremely 3.
