Students from the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Urban Planning had the opportunity to display a folded paper apparel concept as part of a special exhibition called The Full Gamut organized by the Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC).

The project stemmed from a graduate architecture media seminar led by Gregory Serweta, Maia Peck, and Lukas Fetzko where students developed "wearable assemblies of folded paper and 3D-printed resin" to produce shirt and skirt combination "structures" called “sh/kirts.” The work was displayed in the Centre’s satellite Design Spectrum space over the summer.

Students blended architecture and fashion by working with 3D modeling software and a CNC milling machine to complete a process that helps them understand the relationship between two-dimensional planes and three-dimensional modeling, according to the professors.

“Paper is a material with infinite conformal modeling potential,” shared Serweta and Peck to UBNow. “And its properties differ completely, depending on how it is processed, such as through folding, pleating or creasing.”

The course completed its second "season" and culminated in a special April fashion show back in Buffalo. Students were able to show off wearable hats and form-fitting attire that harnessed principles of axial geometry. Serweta and Peck then offered a special workshop on-site in Hong Kong to teach children the basic underpinnings of the design process. Local studio Kirin + Lab helped with the workshop's delivery.

"The creation of the 'sh/kirts' was both an exercise in technical skill and fashion innovation as students combined 3D printing, 2D template generation and complex methods of paper manipulation to create a novel garment," explained Serweta and Peck.

Co-curated by Vivienne Yu and Roger Wu, the exhibition at the HKDC offers a look at the influence of the global fashion industry on Hong Kong’s recent development. UB’s contribution is included alongside other examples of textile, product, and spatial design that equally work to display the “inter-connectedness across various design disciplines from different perspectives.” The exhibition was on display from May 5, 2023 through July 19, 2023.