foræva + swarovski imagine couture of the space age with high-tech crystal dress

romanian fashion designer lana dumitru and architect vlad tenu have designed a crystal dress constructed from over 25,000 swarovski crystals for the launch of inter-disciplinary design lab, foræva. conceived as a colorful and futuristic piece, the striking dress imagines couture of the space age while preserving elements of romanian tradition. the designers used the folk pattern from a traditional romanian rug as the basis for the pattern and employed digital software to achieve the high-tech construction process.

all images by christian tudose

the realization of the complex construction was made possible through computer 3D simulations, algorithmic design methods, and digital prototyping. ‘identity and tradition will not be lost on the path of inter-globalization, they will evolve in unexpected ways, shaped by technology and emotions,‘ explain the designers behind foræva. informed by complex algorithms, the swarovski crystals act as structural elements to form the pattern drawn from the traditional romanian rug.

the dress is constructed from over 25,000 swarovski crystals

the crystals behave like 3D pixels, illustrating three-dimensional discrete patterns and organic reliefs. the crystals were controlled by a bespoke algorithm designed to interpret traditional patterns and re-create them from swarovski crystals. in a similar way, the traditional sewn motifs were coded and transmitted through generations. ‘it is a process-based design, creating not just one model but a family of them, fully simulated in 3D for a production dialogue with manufacturing robots rather than the human hand’, explains the design team. the construction process required a team of 15 people for almost six months to assemble the dress.

the dress’ construction was made possible through computer 3D simulation