Under the auspices of the interdisciplinary research project DAFAT – the acronym stands for digital application of colour to textiles – a joint project involving the university and industry has succeeded in commissioning a 3D printing machine on the premises of the St.Gallen textiles firm Jakob Schlaepfer AG. The first hypertube creations have been adopted for the couture collection of winter 2016–17. Drawing on the company’s embroidery tradition, silicon with colour pigment was applied like a thread to the fabric while under digital control. The result resembles a soutache embroidery. In parallel to this, silicon paste prints without carrier material were created. These have the effect of a novel form of guipure. Schlaepfer’s current collection also includes Hypertube articles which further explore the design possibilities of the new technology. These include all-over patterns on tulle, golden silicon guipures and silicon tassels sewn onto silk chiffon.