The MakerBot® Retail Store in New York City is pleased to announce the launch of the Francis Bitonti Studio Cloud Collection. The first ever 3D printable decorative housewares line by the Francis Bitonti Studio that can be purchased digitally, downloaded and 3D printed. The Cloud Collection is scheduled to debut at the MakerBot Store at 298 Mulberry Street in New York City at a special launch event on Friday, April 4, from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m., which is open to the public. The Cloud Collection will also be available at MakerBot’s other retail stores in Boston and Greenwich, Conn.
The Francis Bitonti Studio Cloud Collection is one of the first “factory in the cloud” concepts and is offered in partnership with MakerBot and 3D Hubs. The New York MakerBot Store is the only location in the world where customers can walk in and purchase a digital file for a Cloud Collection item and then have it 3D printed right in the store. The MakerBot Store will offer four of the Cloud Collection items: a bowl, platter, serving bowl, and vase, which are all customizable by the customer’s design preference. The MakerBot Store will offer the Francis Bitonti Studio Cloud Collection exclusively for the month of April.
“We’ve had an ongoing partnership with Francis Bitonti Studio for his work in creating 3D printed dresses,” noted Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot. “When Francis showed us his new Cloud Collection for the home and told us his vision of having digital media available for consumers to create physical products with 3D printing, we offered to have several of the Cloud Collection pieces at the MakerBot Store for on-site 3D printing and purchase. The MakerBot In-Store 3D Print Service enables our customers to 3D print their own designs, so this is a great extension to offer customers the opportunity to 3D print beautiful houseware items that have been designed by a world-class designer. If you are in New York City, Greenwich, Conn., or Boston, stop by the MakerBot Store and check them out.”
The 3D printable home goods in the Francis Bitonti Studio Cloud Collection range from decorative bowls and plates to vases. Each item is customizable via the use of a sliding scale to adjust the look of the piece. The digital files can be purchased directly from the francisbitonti.com website or the MakerBot Store and then 3D printed through the MakerBot In-Store 3D Print Service. Fees for the 3D printed items from the Cloud Collection range from $75 to $100 for the finished product.
“We’re really excited to have created 3D printable products that are hackable, shareable and downloadable, which enables us to bring the consumer customizable, locally produced products on demand and without excess waste,” said Francis Bitonti. After 3D printing, the product can be picked up directly from a MakerBot Retail Store. All products are designed to be printed on a MakerBot® Replicator® 2 Desktop 3D Printer.
In addition to the Cloud Collection, which is available exclusively at the New York City, Boston and Greenwich MakerBot Stores for the month of April, the customizable and 3D printed Bristle Dress, created in conjunction with Francis Bitonti Studio and his New Skins Workshop, will also be on display at the New York City MakerBot Store.
