Susana Marques is a designer who has been using a number of 3D printers to develop functional and attractive fabrics.
Nora Touré: Susana, could you let us know briefly about your background and your journey into Additive Manufacturing?
Susana Marques: I started studying 3D printing at the beginning of my Master’s degree to develop a collection and look for my distinction among the immense fashion designers. I ended up being interested in technology and deepening it and I made it the subject of my dissertation.
I have no academic or educational training in the field of technology or the field of 3D printing, however, my path is very based on self-learning, mainly the technological part and the merger of both.
Nora Touré: What is SARQUE and what is the story behind it?
Susana Marques: SARQUE started as a simple project, it was mainly the development of some trims for a collection, some distinctive brand. But once I started I couldn’t stop exploring something new every day, and feeling that I was getting close to something new made me try to go further every day. At the end of my Master’s degree, it became more than a project and started to become a brand and “company” that aims to launch products, train, encourage research … so that I can continue to research and get a livelihood from my work.
Nora Touré: To date, what would you say is your greatest achievement in Additive Manufacturing?
Susana Marques: I believe that it is undoubtedly the development of textiles 100% printed in 3D, with strong similarities to conventional fabrics, one of which is flexibility and comfort.
Nora Touré: What is the disruptive potential of 3D Printed textile?
Susana Marques: 3D printed textiles offer us a multitude of new options and ease in the integration of components such as smell, microcapsules to give other types of characteristics, as well as the incorporation of technology, of electronics is very easy.
One of the disruptive points of technology is also sustainability since we can use not only recycled plastic but also make a pattern without wasting material and this is one of the key points of technology, as well as allowing us to create much more complex shapes that were not possible before. It is a whole new world, much more focused on personalization, oriented towards a “prosumer”, for the virtualization of processes.
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