Ryerson Alumni - Summer 2019 - 10

GOULD STREET

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Carnival
life in 3D

DFZ collaboration puts hightech costumes on parade
INSPIRATION CAN strike around any
corner-especially if that corner's at
Ryerson. That's where Dwayne Dixon first
spotted the 3D printer that changed the
course of SugaCayne Designs, the company
he and his wife, Candice, cofounded nine
years ago to design carnival costumes for
festivals around the world.
"Dwayne happened to be taking a tour of
the DMZ in 2016," recalls Candice. "He
was shown a 3D printer and started asking
about the technology and when he came
home, he said, 'Maybe we could change the
game and we could introduce digital technology into our costume design'."
The couple met with several Ryerson
zones before connecting with the Design
Fabrication Zone (DFZ) long distance while
they were in Trinidad in 2017 working with
Douglas John, a world-renowned carnival costume designer who is a mentor of Candice's.
"The first few conversations we had with
the DFZ were over Skype in Trinidad in
a feather room," says Candice, laughing.
"It was really cool for them to see us in the
element, and for us to be discussing how to
take this art form to the next level."
And that they did, creating two seasons
of spectacular costumes that have been featured on Breakfast Television, CP24, the
Design Exchange and the Royal Ontario
Museum, as well as the Toronto Caribbean
Carnival's Grand Parade (scheduled for
August 3, this year).
Now, in their third season of collaboration
with the DFZ, SugaCayne is taking carnival
costuming to even greater heights, using 3D
printing, laser cutting, and "Worbla," a thermoplastic modelling material used in cosplay, to create costumes for the 21st century.
"This year is going to be their most ambitious yet," says Andrew Jepson, technical
coordinator at the DFZ. "We are tackling
more themes and building more costumes,
many of which are going to require new

10

Ryerson University Magazine / Summer 2019

SugaCayne Designs co-founder Candice Dixon (top and opposite page, bottom, at right) and team-
including Quentin VerCetty (above), Asha Emmanuelle (opposite page, top and bottom, left) and Kaylee
Meyer (opposite page, top, at right)-craft costumes on the theme of "Liquid Courage."
Ryerson Alumni - Summer 2019

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