This writer travelled to Melbourne for the Melbourne Fashion Festival so you don’t have to. The purpose of the trip was to witness the result of a collaboration between Nixi Killich and HP. Nixi is an Australian designer who has Lady Gaga on her client list. The collaboration between the two was centred around the design process and taking the physical world into digital and back again.
The HP Sprout is a rather unique piece of equipment, it has a 3D scanner and projector that enables you to scan a 3D object, manipulate it and use it in design. You could take a rare piece of fabric and scan the pattern in, you could take a fancy tattoo, scan it in, manipulate it and use the pattern on some clothing. Nixi used it with art and would paint designs and while still wet, scan it in with the Sprout and arrange it onto her clothing line.
Whether or not you love the finished product Nixi displayed on the night is almost irrelevant. The focus should be on the use of technology and what is being achieved. A spokesperson from HP was talking about how this is even being used in mining. Through a Skype call the 3D camera can be used to show minerals or rocks to someone in the city. The applications for this technology is widespread.
This is the first time we have seen the results of a collaboration here and it wont be the last. HP has formed partnerships in a whole range of areas which we’re sure soon to see the result of, namely their partnership with HTC Vive (VR).
Geoff travelled to Melbourne as a guest of HP Australia
