building fashion x julia koerner
Portrait of Julia Koerner, photo by Florian Voggeneder. Homepage image by Valerie Maltseva.
Julia Koerner is an award-winning Austrian designer working at the convergence of architecture, product and fashion design, specialized in 3D-printing. She is the founder of JK Design GmbH and faculty member at UCLA. Her recent collaborations include 3D-Printed Haute Couture and costumes for Marvel’s Hollywood blockbuster ‘Black Panther’. In 2020, Award-winning Austrian Designer Julia Koerner founded JK3D as a next generation brand that is focused on 3D-printed fashion and décor products. The brand features iconic nature-inspired designs, with intricate and complex designs that can only be made through innovative 3D-printing technology, utilizing sustainable plant-based materials. JK3D is a woman-owned business with design ateliers and urban manufacturing facilities in Vienna and Los Angeles.
LUCIJA ŠUTEJ: I read that at the start of your studies, you were leaning between fashion and architecture. What interested you about each field, and who influenced you to pursue them?
JULIA KOERNER: I was always interested in both. My grandmother was a seamstress, and my father was a University Professor of Technology and Art. When I was young, I wanted to pursue both professions. I was also drawn towards biology and nature, wanting to know more about human anatomy and bodies. I traveled all over Europe with my family and visited famous architectural buildings, which intrigued me. One such example was Ronchamp by Le Corbusier or the Vitra Design Campus.
LŠ: How did your studies in architecture enable a different dimension to your fashion practice? In what ways did architectural principles and methodologies influence your approach to fashion design? Can you provide examples of projects where architectural techniques were particularly impactful?
JK: Architects are experts in 3D modeling and computational design techniques. These design methodologies I was only able to learn during my architecture education. At that time, fashion education did not provide that skillset. Therefore, my education enabled me to become an expert in digital design, 3D printing, and other digital fabrication techniques. Fashion designers such as Iris Van Herpen or costume designer Ruth Carter specifically reached out to seek my expertise in this field for collaborations. I utilize architectural design processes in the design of dresses, costume design, and fashion accessories.
Hymenium Jacket, Sporophyte Collection, 2015, Rendering by Julia Koerner.
LŠ: What was your introduction to 3D modeling techniques, and who mentored you in this area? Which specific projects at the beginning of your career helped you shape your skills in 3D modeling? What were the first techniques you learned, and how did they evolve over time?
JK: My very first experience with CAD was at the University of Technology in Vienna, where a few colleagues and I organized a Form Z workshop because we were keen to learn that 3D modeling software. During my studies at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, I was mentored by Greg Lynn, the inventor of blob architecture. I self-taught myself Maya and Rhino and explored digital fabrication techniques such as 3D printing, laser cutting, and CNC milling. It was an interesting time at the University because Zaha Hadid and Wolf Prix of Coop Himmelblau taught studios there.
Later, I continued my studies at the Architectural Association in London with Mike Weinstock and George Jeronimidis in the Emergent Technologies and Design Course. There, I had the opportunity to learn scripting, writing codes and algorithms, and learn generative design techniques. Other mentors include industrial designer Ross Lovegrove, with whom I worked over several years on various design projects in London, as well as Mark Foster Gage, who I worked with in New York.
LŠ: What led to your decision to turn towards the fashion industry through the application of computer modelling software from the architecture industry?
JK: During my thesis “Superhuman Enticement," I looked at fashion and the paradigm change of prosthesis. It was the time when fashion designer Alexander McQueen invited Amy Mullins to walk down the catwalks. I was curious about how technology could enhance fashion. Furthermore, during my time in London with Lovegrove studio, we utilized the 3D printer not only for rapid prototyping but for manufacturing, and I thought it was super exciting to create fashion accessories with the machine with one click.
The first dresses were 3D printed with Belgian 3D printing company Materialise and Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen, who reached out due to my expertise in creating 3D designs. In 2012, we showed one of the first 3D printed dresses at Paris Haute Couture.
Julia Koerner with Iris Van Herpen: Hybrid Holism Dress, 2012, Rendering by Julia Koerner.
Julia Koerner with Iris Van Herpen: Bio Piracy Dress, 2014, Rendering by Julia Koerner.
LŠ: How have techniques such as laser sintering and stereolithography technology opened up your work? Can you describe the impact of these technologies on your design process and the final products?
JK: While in architecture we were only able to 3D print model scales, in fashion we were able to utilize the size of the printers for full dresses. I was excited to realize my design ideas, which were very advanced for the time in regards to the digital design aspect. The majority of architecture designs at that time, utilizing digital design processes, were unbuilt competition entries or took many years to be realized. I felt that applying my knowledge on the smaller scale enabled me to realize the projects for real-life applications.
Selective Laser Sintering and Mammoth Stereolithography technology made it possible at that time. This was almost 12 years ago, and so unprecedented that the "Biopiracy dress" was published in National Geographic next to a 3D printed human ear and a NASA suit! Each project was a challenge since we continuously wanted to push the existing constraints and boundaries of materials, machines, and computational design processes. Each project was an invention in itself.
3D Printed Bio Piracy Dress by Julia Koerner and Iris Van Herpen, 2014, ©Michel Zoeter.
LŠ: All the materials used in your work are biodegradable, with soybean and corn starch forming your material basis. Could you tell us more why they are so unique to your work? Were there other materials you experimented with that you found quite hard to work with? How do you think these materials compare to traditional ones in terms of sustainability and functionality?
JK: The materials we use at our brand JK3D are sustainable, as we have a special focus on this within our companies in the US and Austria. Personally, I think it is very hard to be a sustainable brand and manufacture only on demand with renewable energy and resources. It is expensive and does not fit the general norm and wholesale principles. We are definitely pushing the boundaries here on so many levels, and as a young entrepreneurial brand, this brings many challenges.
However, we are continually testing and exploring new materials and often get the chance to test new technologies and work with innovative companies. For example, we developed 3D glass printing with Swarovski between 2018-2023, and worked on 3D printing on textiles with Stratasys between 2018-2020. One material which had many challenges was recycled ocean waste plastics; any non-virgin plastic is really difficult to print with.
Julia Koerner; HY Clutch Process, 2021, ©JK3D, Video by Michael Wells.
Re-Fream, Digital Vogue – Between Synthetic and Organic Processes by Julia Koerner/ JK Design. Photo by Florian Voggeneder.
Re-Fream, Digital Vogue – Between Synthetic and Organic Processes by Julia Koerner/ JK Design. Photo by Florian Voggeneder.
LŠ: A lot of inspiration for your work comes from nature. What attracts you to natural forms, and how has your mother, a biologist, influenced this aspect of your work? Can you share specific examples of how natural elements have been incorporated into your designs?
JK: When I was four years old, I collected algae on the Croatian coast and laid them out in an organized matrix on our camping table. This is still the case today; I collect natural artifacts whenever I travel and organize them in my ateliers. In 2015, I found dried kelp on Malibu beach, 3D scanned it, and developed the Kelp Jacket out of it, and later the Kelp Mini bag in 2022.
Nature has a big influence on my design language through biomimicry. I extract color, rhythm, shape, etc., and translate it into the most intricate patterns. I find it fascinating how in nature everything is grown to be optimally suitable for its environment. Structurally and materially, everything is created and optimized for best performance and minimal material waste.
Julia Koerner: Sporophyte Collection, Photography by Ger Ger for SCHÖN!
Julia Koerner: Sporophyte Collection, Photography by Ger Ger for SCHÖN!
Julia Koerner: Kelp Jacket, Sporophyte Collection, 2015. Rendering by Julia Koerner.
LŠ: As you mentioned, during your time at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, you started working with 3D printing company Materialise, which introduced you to Iris Van Herpen. How did this collaboration shape your career?
JK: These were definitely influential collaborations pioneering the cross-disciplinary collaborative work between architects and fashion designers. The dresses are now part of permanent collections in museums worldwide. The work got a lot of attention in the media and led to further collaborations with Paris fashion houses and the Hollywood movie industry.
BLACK PANTHER, Collaboration with Costume Designer Ruth Carter, 2018, Photography by Marvel Disney.
Marvel Studios, Disney: Black Panther, Wakanda Forever. Collaboration with Costume Designer Ruth Carter, 2022.
LŠ: With the possibilities of body scanning and 3D modeling, why do you think there is still a gap in the number of designers using 3D technologies? What barriers do you see in the wider adoption of these technologies in the fashion industry?
JK: It is a time-intensive process, and 3D printing is still an expensive technology. Still, only a handful of designers have the expertise and know-how to implement the techniques and are actually doing it. With the brand JK3D, it was my ambition to move from single one-off museum pieces to small-scale series, and I am excited we achieved that with fashion accessories and our HY Mini and Kelp Mini series.
Julia Koerner: Kelp Bag 2022, ©JK3D, Photo JK3D.
Julia Koerner: Kelp Bag 2022, ©JK3D, Photo JK3D.
LŠ: How do you think collaborations across the fields of fashion and architecture can be fostered further? Are there particular initiatives or platforms that you believe could enhance these interdisciplinary collaborations?
JK: At UCLA, I am researching with my architecture students how to apply the design techniques on building facades. One initiative is the WORTH Partnership project; I was on the jury between 2017-2019. Another one was the Re-Fream project in 2019-2020, where I partnered with several technology partners for a nine-month research project, and it was all about cross-disciplinary exchange and collaboration.
LŠ: I wanted to ask about the Arid collection, where the dress is created via assembling 38 sets of 3D-printed parts. Can you tell us more about how the collection was formed and why you decided to create a garment through active construction? Are you looking at exploring more possibilities of this process that does not require any sewing but instead uses 3D joinery?
JK: This was the project we developed in Re-Fream, a nine-month research project. I was interested in utilizing 3D printing not only for the design and aesthetic but also to print fasteners and snap buttons to connect the pieces of the dress without using any sewing.
Julia Koerner: ARID Collection, Re-FREAM Project Digital Vogue, 2020. Photography by Julia Koerner.
Julia Koerner: ARID Collection, Re-FREAM Project Digital Vogue, 2020. Photography by Julia Koerner.
Julia Koerner: ARID Collection Re-FREAM Project Digital Vogue, 2020. Photography by Ger Ger.
LŠ: The Setae jacket is another fascinating piece where digitized microscopic images of butterflies were used to develop an algorithm that translates these images to fabric. Can you explain this process in more detail?
JK: In this process, we utilized Stratasys Polyjet technology for the first time in printing on fabric. This piece was shown at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It was innovative as the design is quite simple: sticks which are printed piece by piece on fabric, therefore keeping the flexible behavior and integrity of the fabric. The printer can print in thousands of colors, and we use this to mimic the microscales of butterflies. The aesthetic is so innovative and fascinating that the 3D printing company now offers it as a technique to other designers to interpret in their designs.
Julia Koerner: Setae Jacket for Chro-Morpho Collection by Stratasys, 2019. Photo by Ger Ger.
Julia Koerner: Setae Jacket for Chro-Morpho Collection by Stratasys, 2019. Photo by Ger Ger.
Julia Koerner: Setae Jacket for Chro-Morpho Collection by Stratasys, 2019. Photo by JK3D. All images in the interview are courtesy of Julia Koerner and JK3D.