Sliver Fiber Printer

Rethinking Dyeing

Inspired by traditional techniques like ikat and kasuri, the project explores how position-specific coloration can open new creative directions. Where these traditions emphasize craft, today’s textile industry has moved toward streamlined, large-scale processes. This forces manufacturers to predict demand and leaves little room for designers to experiment. The sliver fiber printer challenges this system as a tool that reduces resource demands and encourages human-machine collaboration and creativity, opening space for speculation for novel fabrication methods.

Designing with Makers

The printer was developed through dialogue with textile designers, educators and craft experts. Early speculative interviews invited them to imagine how programmable fiber dyeing could expand their own practices, ranging from simplifying ikat traditions to enabling in-house sampling for fashion studios. Later, participatory making sessions allowed seven designers to directly experiment with the machine. Their excitement, frustrations and improvisations shaped the printer’s evolution across multiple iterations, transforming it from a tool into a creative partner.

Mathematics Worn

The research extended into both a published paper and a fashion show piece, presenting the Sliver Fiber Printer’s approach to position-specific coloration alongside a kimono-style top made from yarn dyed in one continuous motion. KI MONO translates this process into a wearable form, embedding mathematical thinking into every layer. The result is a garment that wears its code quietly—singular, algorithmic, and rooted in craft.