ROMI and Sculpteo 3D Print Five Looks for Jean Paul Gaultier

Fashion designer ROMI turned to Sculpteo's additive manufacturing capacity to create structural elements for five looks in the Jean Paul Gaultier A/W 2026-27 haute couture collection shown this week.

Sculpteo manufactured the 3D-printed structures that give four of the five key looks their sculptural volume and sharp architectural lines. For the white scale-covered dress, the company printed every individual scale, which the Gaultier studio then hand-sewed onto the garment.

Materials and process

All components came from HP Multi Jet Fusion machines. Some parts used PA12, the lightweight and durable nylon common in functional prototypes and end-use parts. Others used TPU, the flexible polyurethane that keeps long contact surfaces comfortable against skin. The choice of material depended on what each silhouette demanded: rigidity for structured shoulders and corsetry, flexibility for pieces that moved with the body.

Sculpteo did more than just run the machines. The company helped ROMI select materials, advised on cutouts and assembly methods for the large-scale pieces, and refined the designs so they could be produced reliably at volume.

Why a 3D printing service for couture

Haute couture runs on short timelines and one-off geometry. Traditional tooling makes no sense for a collection that will never be reproduced. Additive manufacturing lets designers iterate quickly and produce complex shapes that would be difficult or impossible to carve by hand.

Alexandre d'Orsetti, CEO of Sculpteo, said every fashion project brings unique constraints around shape, weight, and deadline. That pressure, he argued, is what pushes the service bureau to improve its industrial processes. The Gaultier collaboration is a visible example of that dynamic: a small design studio with a big runway idea, backed by an industrial 3D printing service that can execute it on time.