Footwear designer and researcher, Liz Ciokajlo, is focusing on the impact of material innovation and emerging making processes. Her plan is to bring a fresh look to how materials and technologies can reshape fashion footwear through her firm OurOwnSkin. Liz studied at the University of Cincinnati with industrial design. Afterward, she moved to the UK and worked with product and furniture design. After a few years, she moved on to get an MA in footwear. She believed that 3D printing could give designers more accessibility to create and manufacture locally to offer control and innovation in designs. At first, she was dissatisfied with the materials offered, but later found ones that worked better for mass customization. Her firm, OurOwnSkin, wants to inform and inspire design concepts. With the OurOwnSkin shoe, they collaborated with Manolis Papastavrou to create a structure that was inspired by human skin.
The 3D printed structure behaves similar to skin. They believe the features of 3D printing could offer footwear solutions for people living with EB. Liz believes that 3D printing is undeniably a key way to manufacture footwear now and in the future. There is a slow uptake, but it is due to the relationship between footwear, making, machine and the people. We made shoes by hand, then we built machines to automate hand making processes. With the OurOwnSkin shoe structure, they hoped to add a bit of something inspired by our bodies into the 3D printed lattices. It is important to understand the foot and the body when it comes to footwear. You need to understand emotions as well as materials. Liz plans to combine footwear with other objects, biological materials, and 3D printing. I look forward to seeing what she brings to the 3D printed footwear industry.
Original Article: https://3dprint.com/246619/interview-with-liz-ciokajlo-of-ourownskin-on-3d-printing-footwear-natural-materials/
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