3D printing: Love in a time of robots

People have been talking about the wonders of 3D printing for what feels like decades. From lungs to houses, it seems that if you can dream it, you can print it. Despite this, an air of mystery remains around the technology, most likely because we rarely interact with 3D printed objects in day-to-day life. That is until now. Love and Robots is an accessories company with a pop-up shop bringing 3D printing to Irish shops.

It existed for a year as a website that allowed you to tweak, personalise and redesign your own 3D printed fashion accessories. Chief executive Emer O’Daly decided she wanted to “bring the design experience offline and into a real space”.

The pop-up shop, located in the Fumbally Exchange on Dame Lane in Dublin, is a space in which people can customise their accessories on iPads and then have them made, on-the-spot, often within the hour. On offer is a huge selection of customisable templates, meaning you have control over variables such as materials and colours, to create your own bespoke piece.

O’Daly explains: “The customisation helps people feel like the piece is really theirs. When you can put in meaningful and personal details, it makes each piece worth so much more.”

O’Daly trained as an architect in UCD and Yale. She developed a love for digital design and 3D printing. On returning to Ireland, she wanted to combine this with her love of fashion and architecture. She quotes Coco Chanel in her belief “Fashion is architecture: it is a matter of proportions,” and the company, now in its second year, employs designers and architects to contribute to the range of accessories available. O’Daly believes this variation is important.

Imagine a necklace that reads as your Twitter handle. You can create it in Helvetica, Vag Round, Royal Acid Bath, Pacifico or Merriweather typefaces; in sterling silver, gold or in coloured acrylic; with glitter; or with a gold or silver chain. Once you have made your selection you can view a 3D mock-up. There are also cuff-link and bow-tie templates. See loveandrobots.com/pop-up-shop