Reviving the 90's: Exploring the Creative Journey of the IACDE Winners

The recent 23'/24' IACDE 3D summit, themed "Back to the 90's," concluded on a high note, celebrating creativity and innovation. The event took attendees on a nostalgic journey through the iconic fashion era. Among the highlights were the winning entries by talented designers Gail Meyer and Astrid Hanenkamp, both users of Browzwear software. Their designs beautifully captured the essence of 90's fashion. Let's explore their inspiration and journey through this year's summit.

Gail Meyer

For many of us, certain periods of our lives hold a special place in our hearts. First-prize winner Gail Meyer, Senior Fashion Designer at TFG Design Centre, shares, "The 90s was a part of my teen years, leading into my fashion design collage years—so it’s a period very close to my heart." This personal nostalgia inspires her stunning designs. 

Reflecting on the IACDE Journey

When asked about her experience in partaking in this year's IACDE summit, Gail expresses, "In short – I am completely overwhelmed and honored to have been selected as a winner!! I honestly just went into this to learn and stretch myself beyond VStitcher this year – get into Blender and AI,  and all things scary – so the validation of my work is greatly appreciated and I am thrilled about my work being showcased in the VR Fashion Museum. I cannot wait for the collaboration to begin." 

She expresses her gratitude to the IACDE 3D summit for providing her with the invaluable opportunity to connect with a highly talented community of designers and learn from industry leaders. Since joining in 2022, she eagerly anticipates this annual event. She acknowledges that her participation in the competition wouldn't have been feasible without the contributions of the organizers, sponsors, and the insightful workshops held in the months leading up to the main event. Their unwavering support and guidance were pivotal in her journey, and she eagerly anticipates further development as a designer in the future.

Image of Gail's winning design. Click through to see her journey from her initial mood board to her finalized 3D garment. 

Image of Gail's 90's Cyberpunk-Grunge mood board.

Creation of the final look. 

Astrid Hanenkamp

Astrid Hanenkamp, 2D/3D Fashion Designer, crafted designs that transport us back to the 90's with a contemporary twist, leading her to second runner-up victory in the IACDE summit. Drawing inspiration from iconic fashion trends of the era, such as Dolce&Gabbana corset dresses and Vivienne Westwood's grunge aesthetic, Astrid's creations blend nostalgia with modern sophistication. From slip dresses to power suits, each piece reflects her meticulous attention to detail, incorporating elements like gold Adobe Substance embroidery and puffy fabrics from Chargeurs.

Reflecting on the IACDE Journey

"I aimed to push my limits by incorporating all the provided DXF patterns for the 90's design challenge and I found myself deeply inspired throughout the process, learning new techniques and incorporating additional details like jewelry." Astrid explains.

Throughout Astrid's design journey, she encountered various challenges that tested her skills and patience. Draping and layering garments posed complexities, as did addressing collision issues when overlaying multiple pieces. The incorporation of interlining and puffy fabrics demanded meticulous attention to detail, especially when working with Daz3D avatars and mastering Blender for accurate fabric representation. Despite the technical hurdles, Astrid found herself occasionally prioritizing mastering the software over the design itself, highlighting a personal challenge.

However, within these obstacles lay invaluable learning opportunities. Seminars from Browzwear, Tronog, and Blender expanded her knowledge base, allowing her to refine skills in Vstitcher, Blender's camera and lighting techniques, and the correct implementation of interlining and puffy fabrics. Additionally, experimenting with Stable Diffusion AI to enhance image realism opened new creative avenues.

Reflecting on her journey, Astrid emphasizes the importance of striking a balance between technical proficiency and creative expression. While mastering software is crucial, the essence of design lies in creating pieces that resonate emotionally. Her growth as a designer hinges on this delicate balance, as she carries forward the lessons learned from this challenge, illustrating the endless opportunities for exploration and innovation within the fashion industry.

Click through to read the inspiration behind each stunning design in Astrid's "Back to the 90's" collection. 

When asked about the inspiration behind this gorgeous slip dress, Astrid shared, "For the slipdress style I took the idea of lingerie-peekaboo dresses in the style of 90's Dolce&Gabbana corset-dresses, but shown on a larger model, and adding a gold Adobe Substance embroidery for more texture."

Astrid shares, "The power suit style was inspired by the movie "Working Girl". I loved the big shoulders everywhere and the pinstripe fabric's Wall-street-type aesthetic. I also collaborated with and did a how-to video how to apply the interlinings from one of the other sponsors ChargeursPCC." 

As a personal favorite of Astrid's, in regard to her minimalist design she explains, "I was inspired by 90's Helmut Land and Kate Moss runway looks and really liked the clean feel of blak and white with the pop of red."

"I like the old-school Fila track suits with a very English-lad feel. I used the original dxf pattern from the IACDE summit for the style and then used Midjourney to come up with color-blocking ideas."

Inspired by old Vivienne Westwood images, Astrid shares, "I am definitely more an English 90s Blur and Pulp fan than an American Nirvana fan, so having the Tailorex London Bridge background was perfect for me. I did sneak Nirvana graphics made in Midjourney into the scene though and added the accessories like the gold chain in Blender, then enhanced the realism of the Daz3D avatar in Stablediffusion"

Words from the IACDE Team

This year’s edition of the IACDE 3D Summit had a focus on the fashion of the 90’s. It was packed with content and as always, promoted knowledge sharing. 

Hans Olsson, Senior (3D) Pattern Developer & IACDE 3D Summit Lead, adds, "In between the two main events in November 2023 and April 2024 we hosted in total 13 workshops which gave our participants an extensive learning experience and set them up for success with their assignments. Our top two winners from Browzwear created exceptional digital garments/renders and it was a very close tie between them. 

The first prize winner, Gail Meyers, did an outstanding job turning her Browzwear renders into real life like images through various AI tools. 

The second runner up, Astrid Hanenkamp, brought us an look of complex 90’s outfits on Daz 3D avatars, that she also turned into lifelike models with the use of AI. 

We have already started planning for the upcoming edition of the IACDE 3D Summit and we are looking forward to once again welcome participants from the Browzwear community."

Congratulations to the Winners and Participants

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Astrid, Gail, and all the participants of the IACDE for their exceptional dedication and remarkable designs. The level of talent showcased within the Browzwear and 3D fashion design community is truly inspiring.

If you haven't had the opportunity to explore our IACDE workshops or would like to revisit them, you're in luck! From grunge to streetwear, our workshops at the IACDE 23'/24' 3D summit covered various aspects of 90's fashion. You can now delve into them on our tutorials page to fuel the creation of your own unique collection.

Dive Into Browzwear's IACDE Workshops