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Wear your tech: Fashion and jewellery at CES 2016 (pictures)

This year CES has opened its doors to high-end 3D-printed jewellery (without the plastic), fashion that blurs the lines between tech and art, and wearables that are actually, well, wearable in everyday life.

Claire Reilly
Claire Reilly was a video host, journalist and producer covering all things space, futurism, science and culture. Whether she's covering breaking news, explaining complex science topics or exploring the weirder sides of tech culture, Claire gets to the heart of why technology matters to everyone. She's been a regular commentator on broadcast news, and in her spare time, she's a cabaret enthusiast, Simpsons aficionado and closet country music lover. She originally hails from Sydney but now calls San Francisco home.
Claire Reilly
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Beyond plastic

When 3D printing was first shown off at CES, booths were filled with hundreds of bright plastic trinkets that all started to look the same. Now, 3D-printing companies are starting to experiment with different materials, taking the format way beyond fluoroplastic and giving show visitors an insight into the full potential of the technology.

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Future fashion

Sometimes CES is all about showing off your proof of concept, whether it's wearable or not. 3D-printing supply company Windform has gone down the latter path with this space-age helmet that is perfect for the trend-setter in you.

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3D Systems

3D Systems, a 3D-printing company, paired up with fashion label United Nude to create the Ice shoe, an 8-inch high heel designed to look like an ice block. The company also showed off its Float shoes (right), which don't feature any heel at all.

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Yes, they're shoes

The "re-invented" shoes collaboration between 3D Systems and United Nude brought together five designers to create architectural shoes inspired by organic shapes.

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Thinking outside the square

Architect Zaha Hadid ditched the blocky 3D-printed look with her fluid "Flames" shoes, created in collaboration with United Nude and 3D Systems.

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Heavy metal

3D printing isn't just for producing plastic designs. Francis Bitoni Studio created this necklace by 3D printing the mould in wax and then casting the shape in precious metal.

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Nooka

New York design company Nooka used 3D-printed nylon powder to create this flexible watchband.

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Organic shapes

More watchbands from design company Nooka, showing that 3D printing can take on a much more natural-looking structure than the blocky designs we saw in earlier years.

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Personalised wedding bands

VowSmith takes a scan of your fingerprint and 3D prints it in wax, before using it to cast a personalised wedding ring from precious metal.

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Project Runway

This winning design from "Project Runway" Season 14 contestant Kelly Demsey uses 3D-printed parts alongside fabric. Inspired by the Brooklyn Bridge, the dress features small printed bricks that are integrated into the waistband.

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Fabricate

3D Systems' Fabricate app lets designers print plastic shapes directly onto fabric. The company's Cube desktop printer lays out a thin layer of 3D-printed material, then mesh fabric is sandwiched in the middle before the final layers are printed on top. The result is a flexible 3D texture that can be integrated into clothing.

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Customisable eyewear

With the kind of personalised production that 3D printing offers, changing glasses is no longer an issue. Just 3D-scan your face, work out which frames look best on screen and then print them out ready to wear.

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High-end tech

Even traditional jewellery companies are getting in on the tech trend at CES. With some of the ornate jewellery on the show floor, you'd hardly know there was a smart wearable inside.

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Sculpteo

While there have been plenty of outfits printed entirely out of polymer, fashionistas of the future are more likely to have clothes with 3D-printed elements integrated into the outfit. Sculpteo created these designs by stitching 3D-printed parts onto regular clothing, and has used flexible plastic to make more comfortable designs.

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Swarovski

In a sign that wearables have gone mainstream, Swarovski has jumped on the bandwagon with its own smart jewellery, encrusted with its signature coloured crystals.

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Fitness and fashion combined?

While CES has plenty of fully-featured smartwatches and fitness trackers, many of them are yet to be given the kind of design treatment that Swarovski has given its range. On the flip side, plenty of the designer wearables also have more limited feature sets. If you're buying a wearable, there's still a question of prioritising form or function.

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