Case Study: Hoet Design Studio achieves rapid mass‑customization and design freedom in 3D‑printed eyewear with Materialise

3DP&Me Great Design is About Understanding Your Tools

Hoet Design Studio, led by Bieke Hoet, is a small Bruges‑based eyewear design house that wanted to pioneer 3D printing for eyewear but struggled to find a commercial partner with the right 3DP expertise. They partnered with Materialise for its 3D printing software, solutions and manufacturing know‑how to explore new materials, printing techniques and application‑driven innovation.

Materialise worked with Hoet Design Studio to deliver production‑ready 3D‑printed collections (eg. Hoet Couture in titanium and Cabrio synthetics), joint programs like the YUNIKU mass‑customization offering, and bespoke engineering (such as a 3D‑printed bendable earpiece). The partnership cut concept‑to‑production time from roughly six months to about one month, enabled on‑demand, lower‑waste production and two‑week delivery of tailor‑made frames, and helped produce award‑winning designs (SEIKO’s Xchanger won the Silmo d’Or in 2015).

Hoet Design Studio