Credit: Officina 3
High precision, repeatability, and effects ranging from see-through to cuts with millimetric definition. Summer collections have given ample space to perforations, which add lightness and depth to materials, opening them up to new uses and new seasonal applications.
We saw this in the beautiful and seductive Tom Ford by Haider Ackermann runway show, where stretch lacquer follows the body, allowing the mesh to expand or contract with every movement. On the runway, however, we saw every kind of pattern, from lace to classics such as paisley, as in Burberry’s collection, which uses it for outerwear and accessories.
But how are these effects achieved? The technique must be chosen according to the materials being worked, as Giacomo Fiorin, owner of Officina 3— a company specialized in luxury processing including perforations and engravings—explains.
«The first assessment to make is the type of material we are dealing with. If it is synthetic, the choice falls on laser cutting, either with a galvanometric head or a plotter—both fast and precise.
If, on the other hand, we are working with natural materials such as leather, which could burn when exposed to laser cutting, we use a machine called Teseo. It allows us to work on very large formats and shapes of any size.»
The result is incredibly complex and visually striking patterns, which can then be combined with further processes such as embroidery, injection printing, or digital printing. These techniques can be applied to a wide variety of materials, in continuity with the concept of the collection or capsule, resulting in shoes, bags, or garments.
