This quarter we have been answering the question of “in a world full of too much crap what is an idea worth materializing?” by using 3d printers to explore materiality and design. My interest in materiality stems from Muñoz’s theory that “Both the ornamental and the quotidian can contain a map of the utopia that is queerness”, and that these blueprints of futurity pose alternatives outside the here and now, ours being a here-and-now of rampant pollution and overproduction, which upholds my theory of what I am referring to as “the post apocalyptic horizon” in which we currently operate. I intended on producing fabric in the vein of chainmail that could be added and subtracted as based on the users needs. This fabric is attempting to amend the issue that clothing becomes un-wearable once we grow out of it, seeing that clothing is deemed garbage once it runs out of season, and is dumped.

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The design for this fabric allows open rings to easily slip into each other forming links, but not slip out thus allowing the pieces to be built on easily over time. The pieces can also be removed with relative ease as well. In order to print chain mail the rings must be tilted at 45% and staggered, with the bottom removed. The fabric can be printed without a raft, but has more success with one, the only issue is removing the rings from the raft without breaking them.

This idea of a growable fabric reinforces the idea of the ornament of the garment, specifically the ornament of armory being one with the user and is in tandem with the work of queer designers working in the realm of aestheticizing the post apocalypse (click here for a vfile of visual examples). I came into this project knowing that I was going to produce an item that could be utilized by a loved one, in this instance, my best friend Kat. Kat is about to begin her transition and trans women have an average lifespan of 30-32 years old purely due to hate violence, are 20% more likely to be assaulted and are 16 times as likely to be murdered. These statistics are very upsetting to hear and more upsetting to experience. I am giving my friend customizable chain mail armor in the form of a bra, an object that I hope will grow with her in tandem as her breasts develop more during hormone treatments and as conceptual armor for gracing the world in the apocalyptic horizon.