[ Mashallah Design & Linda Kostowski ] The T-shirt Issue

Berlin-based Mashallah Design & Linda Kostowski have created items of clothing by scanning human bodies and using the data to create sewing patterns. Above: Wolf

The human form is turned into 3D patterns of polygons, which are then turned into 2D files and used to laser cut fabric. Above: Wolf.

Above: Juki

Above: Juki

Above: Swimmies

The following information is from Mashallah Design:

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THE T-SHIRT ISSUE
A Digital T-Shirt Project

By Mashallah Design & Linda Kostowski

Three people are portrayed digitally by scanning their bodies. The output of this scan is a 3d file, which resolution is defiend by the amount of polygons, similiar to pixels in a bitmap graphic.

Linked with their biographical memories a digital twin of the body is thus created, which expands and personifies the garment in a formal-poetic way. Above: Swimmies

The 3d data is turned into 2d sewing patterns by the use of the unfolding function which is a common tool in industrial design process to make paper models with, the single fabric pieces and the inner interface which defines the edges are cut out by the help of a laser cutter.

Making a clothes pattern in this way changes the aesthetics of the garment fundamentally, because in contrary to ordinary pattern construction methods unfolding does not matter about orientations like center front or the shape of a armhole, which frees the designers imagination in a way that feels fresh and liberate.

As fabric we used sweatshirt jersey as a reference to the common cliche that Berlin is the city which fashionable output lies
in making and painting on t-shirts.

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