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In the first edition of Elegoo With Her, 30 women from 17 countries came together to make something deeply personal, from home décor to cosplay to fashion and education projects.
Created by desktop 3D printing company Elegoo, this creative experiment set out to make 3D printing more accessible and inclusive. Launched at Formnext 2024, the program invited creators to explore 3D printing as a tool for storytelling, confidence, and self-discovery.
The program drew over 110 applicants, then narrowed to 30 women who, over the course of three months, attended mentorship sessions and design workshops led by established makers like Anouk Wipprecht, Brigitte Kock, and Shehzeen Rehman. More than 70% of participants were completely new to 3D printing, showing how easily technology can inspire anyone to create.
Among them were two standout designers: Emna Hussein, from Tunisia and Italy, and Neyla Coronel Vega, from Colombia. Each approached the program with a different goal. Hussein sought to reinterpret heritage through couture, while Coronel Vega used design to explore self-acceptance and body confidence. Their projects couldn’t have been more different: one became a futuristic fashion capsule inspired by Tunisian tradition, the other a 3D printed bra designed to fit body and soul.
Neyla Coronel Vega shows the 3D printed bra she created for Elegoo with Her.
Emna Hussein’s project, Jasm-e, drew its inspiration from her own personal memories. Growing up in Tunisia, she says she remembered the smell of jasmine flowers drifting through her grandmother’s house, the metallic clink of Chnechin bracelets, and the ornate embroidery of ceremonial Fermla vests, traditional waistcoats worn at weddings and special celebrations. These images became the foundation for a 3D printed fashion capsule, a small collection of garments and accessories that blend digital design with handmade textiles.
Emna Hussein shows the 3D printed corset and jewelry.
The capsule includes a printed corset, a jacket inspired by the Fermla, and bracelets that seem a lot like her grandmother’s jewelry. Each piece combines a 3D printed structure with soft, hand-woven fabric.
'œI wanted to see what happens when you mix heritage, handicraft, and 3D printing,' she explained to 3DPrint.com. 'œWorking through Elegoo With Her, I combined artisanal fabrics like hand-woven hayek with 3D printed TPU modules, weaving them together into entirely new textiles. My process relied on open-source tools, like CLO3D, Rhino, Illustrator, and the Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro printer, proving that haute couture can grow from desktop machines.'
Emna Hussein shows the 3D printed corset, jacket, and jewelry.
The Fermla Jacket, reimagined in black TPU and gold patterns, combines the geometry of Islamic architecture with the softness of hayek. The corset, printed in translucent TPU and sanded to a matte finish, echoes jasmine petals. And the Chnechin Bracelets, made from silk and gold PLA, honor her grandmother’s jewelry.
For Hussein, the project wasn’t just about fashion; it was about reclaiming heritage through technology.
'œ3D printing expands the vocabulary of craftsmanship instead of replacing it,' she said. 'œIt creates a bridge between heritage and innovation, making cultural identity globally visible through technology. It also supports hybrid fabrics, zero-waste design, and sustainable materials, showing that tradition can evolve without disappearing.'
Emna Hussein 3D prints a corset and jewelry.
While Emna looked to the past, Coronel Vega focused on the body itself. As a Colombian designer, she grew up surrounded by a culture that often celebrated body changes.
'œFor a long time, I believed surgery might be the thing that would make me feel comfortable with my body,' she told 3DPrint.com. 'œBut it was never my body that was wrong; it was the market for not giving women enough options.'
Her answer was to “design body-positive innerwear” using 3D printing. These are basically intimate pieces made for comfort, individuality, and pride, she described. Working from a body scan, Coronel Vega split her bra design into adjustable segments, including straps, cups, and bands, so that each area could flex, stretch, and support naturally. She printed prototypes in flexible TPU with auxetic patterns (geometries that expand when stretched), testing dozens of small parts before assembling the final piece, she went on to say.
'œComfort came first. I treated comfort as the primary design constraint,' Coronel Vega said. 'œThe final piece moves naturally with the body rather than acting like rigid armor. I even added corset-style laces so wearers could adjust it to their liking '” a symbolic and literal act of control. The project challenges beauty norms while showing how 3D printing can reshape the lingerie industry.'
Neyla Coronel Vega’s 3D printed bra.
What's more, the artist noted, 'œOn-demand fabrication means every woman could have a perfectly fitted bra, made sustainably and ethically. 3D printing can push the lingerie market toward greater customization and purposeful aesthetics. It enables pieces tailored to an individual's exact measurements and comfort preferences.'
Neyla Coronel Vega’s 3D printed bra.
Beyond fashion and wearables, the Elegoo With Her participants explored plenty of creative paths. Some reimagined our everyday surroundings; for example, Ekaterina printed miniature time-traveling lamps, Kim created luminous sculptures inspired by microscopic sea creatures, and Tannya Lokwani reinterpreted Zapotec textile geometry through 3D printed structures. In education, creators like Janet Zagah built STEM kits to bring renewable energy lessons to underserved classrooms, while Rosa Devine developed tactile anatomy models to make complex science more accessible.
Others dove into play and fantasy, like Danielle Royer, who transformed sketches into toys, or Vaishnavi, who shaped sculptural clouds into characters, and cosplayers like Laura Connolly, Leeanna Fisher, and Michelle Lawhorn, who “brought gaming lore and costumes to life through armor and props.” All these projects showed one thing clearly: when you mix imagination with 3D printing, the boundaries of creativity expand exponentially.
Elegoo launched With Her to give women a space to learn, experiment, and tell their stories through technology. Although more than 70% of participants were completely new to 3D printing, their projects crossed fashion, science, and art, from educational anatomy models to futuristic couture. The company provided mentorship, workshops, and access to machines, creating a creative circle that mixed inspiration with technical know-how.
Neyla Coronel Vega’s 3D printed bra.
For both Hussein and Coronel Vega, that community mattered as much as the tools.
'œThe workshops helped me think like an engineer but build like a designer,' Hussein said.
Coronel Vega added that “It allowed me to listen to other women’s stories and realize I wasn’t alone.”
In the end, Elegoo With Her wasn’t just a design program; it was a reminder of what technology can do when it’s in the right hands. A 3D printer isn’t only for making parts. It helps people create, connect, and bring their stories to life.
Or, as Hussein stated: 'œThis is just the beginning of a beautiful journey in 3D fashion printing '” and I'm excited for what's next.'
Images courtesy of Elegoo