Iris van Herpen Creates the World’s First 3D-Printed Wedding Dress, and Other News

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Iris van Herpen meticulously designs the world’s first 3D-printed wedding dress. 

Brazilian tax lawyer Mariana Pavani recently got married in a groundbreaking 3D-printed gown designed by Dutch couturier Iris van Herpen, known for her pioneering work in high-tech fashion. The seamless dress, which took more than 600 hours to design and 41 hours to print, features an ethereal, frost-like bodice that combines futuristic aesthetics with practical durability. The garment was realized through meticulous digital sculpting with ZBrush software and printed at a specialized facility in Paris. The process began with a 3D body scan of Pavani and involved multiple fittings to perfect the hand-pleated base dress and integrate the 3D-printed elements. The gown, which features no seams and unmatched fluidity, moved both Pavani and van Herpen to tears during the final fitting. Pavani, who was introduced to van Herpen’s work by her fiancé Roberto Toscano, plans to display the dress as a work of art.

New York breaks ground on the Battery Coastal Resilience project in Lower Manhattan.

New York City has broken ground on the Battery Coastal Resilience project in Lower Manhattan, a $200 million effort to protect 12,000 businesses and 100,000 residents from rising sea levels. Phase 1 involves rebuilding The Battery’s wharf and promenade, aligning with NYC Clean Construction Accelerator emissions standards, and is set to complete by 2026. The project is part of the broader Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency strategy, addressing significant flood risks predicted by the New York City Panel on Climate Change.

Australia’s richest woman is embroiled in a portrait controversy at a Canberra museum. 

Mining billionaire Gina Rinehart has demanded the removal of her portrait by Aboriginal artist Vincent Namatjira from the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) in Canberra. Despite Rinehart’s request and pressure from associates and Swimming Queensland, the NGA refused to take down the painting, which remains on display until July 21. In response, the gallery reiterated its mission to inspire public dialogue and exploration of art, while Namatjira highlighted his focus on influential figures in his work.

The British Museum has located another 268 artifacts that went missing or were stolen. 

The British Museum has recovered 268 more missing or stolen items, raising the total number of recovered objects to 626. These recoveries are part of a global operation following the discovery last year that 2,000 items were missing or lost, some sold on eBay. The museum is pursuing leads on about 100 additional items, while also implementing recommendations for improved security and inventory management following an independent review.

The Mirage will permanently close on the Las Vegas Strip to make way for the Hard Rock.

The Mirage Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip will close on July 17 after more than three decades, making way for a three-year renovation that will transform it into Hard Rock Las Vegas, complete with a 700-foot guitar-shaped hotel tower. The iconic volcano and other Mirage features, like Siegfried and Roy’s white tigers and the Beatles-themed Cirque du Soleil show, will be removed. Hard Rock International, which acquired the Mirage for more than $1 billion, will lay off more than 3,000 employees but provide $80 million in severance and offer reemployment opportunities when the resort reopens in 2027.

Today’s attractive distractions:

Scientists may have solved the mystery of how Egypt’s pyramids were built.

Everyone in the new Apple TV+ series Palm Royale should be chain smoking.

Germans Ermičs creates shoelace-inspired medals for the Riga Marathon.

New York City introduces pizza box recycling to step up its war against rats.