Fashion designer Susan Fang, in collaboration with former Dyson engineer Orelio De Jonghe, has created a series of 3D printed accessories for Apple’s latest devices, including iPhone and iPad covers, Apple Watch bands, AirPod enclosures, and Mac Mini shells.
“We started with the question of ‘how can we make 3D printed accessories feel alive, with a sense of craftsmanship, almost feel like a kind of future craft?’ — this still requires full manual control over different programs, and can’t be done with AI, which is still imprecise and very random,” explained Fang.
Pushing Digital Design Limits
With De Jonghe’s technical expertise, Fang’s team fully leveraged Apple’s M-chip devices and Clo3D fashion software to experiment with complex simulations and rendering effects. The project is constrained by software and hardware limits: not all effects are reproducible outside high-performance systems, and precise manual input is required for accuracy.
“We started doing extremely complex effects — the kind normally used in animated feature films, which usually require massive multimachine rendering — a normal laptop would crash, but a MacBook could run it,” Fang said. By emphasizing these boundaries, the team clarifies what 3D printing can and cannot deliver in consumer tech: intricate, tactile designs are possible, but only within advanced workflows.
Nevertheless, using the latest software offerings, Fang and De Jonghe explored naturalistic effects, such as plants swaying in the wind, and integrated 3D printed elements seamlessly into garments and accessories. The resulting designs combine craftsmanship with technology, demonstrating how digital fabrication can produce expressive and organic forms.
The collaboration items are available on Fang’s Xiaohongshu platform, from 561 renminbi ($79) for an iPhone cover to 7,925 renminbi ($1,120) for a Mac Mini shell, showing how advanced 3D workflows translate into tangible, commercially available products.
3D Printing Brings Personalization and Craft to Consumer Tech Accessories
Fang’s project illustrates why 3D printing is commercially and technically relevant for consumer tech accessories today. It demonstrates that digital fabrication can make mass-produced technology feel personalized and expressive, but only under specific conditions: advanced software knowledge, precise manual input, and high-performance hardware.
Similar approaches are now being explored commercially, bringing customization and expressive design to broader consumer tech accessories. In 2024, Bambu Lab and CMF by Nothing ran a design contest inviting creators to develop custom accessories for the CMF Phone 1, providing specifications to ensure functional, precise designs. Similarly, UNYQ and IKEA collaborated on personalized 3D printed accessories for gamers, including custom controller grips and decorative elements that integrate with existing furniture and setups.
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Featured image shows Flower iPhone Case 3D Printed. Image via SUSAN FANG.
