It’s not likely to be the first pair of 3D-printed frames you’ve seen. But it’s very likely to be the first pair of 3D-printed frames you’ve seen with a finish that’s as gorgeous as a luxury car’s.
This new Cabrio Bi-Color collection is a new release by Belgian eyewear brand Cabrio, designed by HOET, and it’s far from being their debut in 3D Printing. Since 2014, Hoet Design Studio has released no less than 4 collections featuring 20 styles of 3D-printed frames, in partnership with us. What comes through with each of them is Hoet’s ‘look’ — soft angles, fluid lines — and that classic pioneer spirit of going where other brands don’t, through textures and lattice patterns.
“For me, 3D Printing is a sandbox full of possibility. And the Bi-Color collection really brings out our playful side.”
Bieke Hoet, Hoet Design Studio
Color does tend to do that, especially when there’s more than one. And the previous 3D-printed collections from Hoet also showcase a fascination with colors. So what inspired Bi-Color?
“Bi-Color is our statement piece. It stands for the fact that we’ve gone way beyond ‘just’ 3D-printed frames,” says Alireza Parandian, Head of Global Business Strategy for Wearables at Materialise. “We’ve brought so many 3D-printed collections to the market with Hoet Design Studio that 3D Printing stopped being the talking point years ago. Now, if you thought that the most impressive thing about Cabrio Bi-Color was the fact that it’s 3D-printed, I would actually be disappointed!”
Hoet and Materialise took a close look at the monochrome world of 3D-printed frames and saw a new world full of two-toned opportunity. The first color schemes in Cabrio Bi-Color are red-brown, brown-black and black-grey, a range that’s likely to add more combinations in the future. Behind this choice of color scheme, Bieke says, is an inspiration from the luxurious leather finish in automobile interiors.
So what’s next? Stay tuned, says Alireza at Materialise. “There’s another fantastic co-creation with Hoet in the pipeline, which I’m especially excited about. I won’t give away too much now, but let’s just say that several materials are involved.”
