Now that 3D printing has been in the mainstream consciousness for a while, it’s not a huge surprise that we are starting to see the rich and famous conspicuously spend money on it. The most obvious way for the Paris Hiltons of the world to do so is to 3D print their own likenesses, at least, if Thailand is any indication. One 3D printing shop in Bangkok, called Me Limited Edition, has begun scanning and printing the likenesses of a number of Thai celebrities.
After only a month in operation, Me Limited Edition has created figurines for stylist Ploy Chava porn, actor Ploy Chermarn and Pancake Kemnij, who have graced the company’s social media sites. Due to copyright concerns, of course, these celebrity replicas are only produced as one-offs for the customers themselves, and not for mass production. If you’re in the area of Siam Square Soi 6, you can spend 15 minutes to get scanned and purchase either a 6 cm figurine for B4,500 (about $138) or a 30 cm model for B48,500 (almost $1,500). Then, you can sit back and wait 15 days for your 3D printed selfie to arrive. Here’s an ad for the store below:
Knowing “me” limited edition from me.limitededition.thailand on Vimeo.
3D printed portraits are becoming big business, of course, with a number of similar shops and services popping up around the globe and 3D Systems released its own 3D printed portrait booth this year. This appears to be the first story, that I’m aware of, in which celebrities are partaking in the practice. Given the current instability in Thailand, coupled with increasing scrutiny over economic inequality worldwide, I don’t know if it’s the right time for a store to launch a marketing campaign in which celebrities have expensive models of themselves made.
Source: BK
