The textile industry faces major challenges, including environmental impact, labor exploitation, and overproduction, generating vast textile waste. While calls for more responsible practices grow, the sector largely relies on traditional methods, underscoring the need for systemic change. Advances in technology and new production systems are opening opportunities for more sustainable and socially responsible approaches.
This seminar addresses these challenges through technological and creative strategies shaping the transformation of the textile industry. We will visit museums, research centers, progressive companies, and designers to examine how design and technology intersect in responsible textile production. We will also explore potential collaborations that inform applications from systems and products to installations.
The seminar Interwoven spans two semesters.
Part 1 – Research & Sketch Design (SoSe)
This part focused on research as a foundation for design, beginning with an excursion to the Netherlands and Belgium, visiting: TextielMuseum (historical and experimental textile practices), ByBorre (material reuse and collaborative production), Kvadrat / Febrik (ao knitted textiles for fashion and interiors), and MoMu (Fashion & Interiors: a Gendered Affair exhibition).
From these visits, participants defined a direction or theme for in-depth investigation.
The outcome was a printed research booklet presenting the topic and research question, alongside explorations of techniques, initiatives, and collaborations, visual observations, experiments, and material samples. Initial sketches outlined a design outcome, demonstrating the techniques and materials (digital or physical) required for its realization.
Part 2 – Collaboration & Implementation (WiSe)
During this semester, research is translated into tangible design outcomes, potentially in collaboration with textile platforms and companies, eg through a dialogue/collaboration with a partner visited during the excursion. Possible excursions or expert meetings include Stoll (3D knitting), Texoversum in Reutlingen, and BIOTEXFUTURE in Germany.
The expected outcome is a 2D or 3D prototype that may take the form of a service, object, textile design, or textile-based application, reflecting the insights, techniques, and experiments developed during research.
You will be able to receive a Schein for both parts, but only if tangible results are presented.
Seminar days are held bi-weekly on Thursdays 14-17h or Fridays 10-14h
This seminar addresses these challenges through technological and creative strategies shaping the transformation of the textile industry. We will visit museums, research centers, progressive companies, and designers to examine how design and technology intersect in responsible textile production. We will also explore potential collaborations that inform applications from systems and products to installations.
The seminar Interwoven spans two semesters.
Part 1 – Research & Sketch Design (SoSe)
This part focused on research as a foundation for design, beginning with an excursion to the Netherlands and Belgium, visiting: TextielMuseum (historical and experimental textile practices), ByBorre (material reuse and collaborative production), Kvadrat / Febrik (ao knitted textiles for fashion and interiors), and MoMu (Fashion & Interiors: a Gendered Affair exhibition).
From these visits, participants defined a direction or theme for in-depth investigation.
The outcome was a printed research booklet presenting the topic and research question, alongside explorations of techniques, initiatives, and collaborations, visual observations, experiments, and material samples. Initial sketches outlined a design outcome, demonstrating the techniques and materials (digital or physical) required for its realization.
Part 2 – Collaboration & Implementation (WiSe)
During this semester, research is translated into tangible design outcomes, potentially in collaboration with textile platforms and companies, eg through a dialogue/collaboration with a partner visited during the excursion. Possible excursions or expert meetings include Stoll (3D knitting), Texoversum in Reutlingen, and BIOTEXFUTURE in Germany.
The expected outcome is a 2D or 3D prototype that may take the form of a service, object, textile design, or textile-based application, reflecting the insights, techniques, and experiments developed during research.
You will be able to receive a Schein for both parts, but only if tangible results are presented.
Seminar days are held bi-weekly on Thursdays 14-17h or Fridays 10-14h
- Dozent/in: Wieki Somers
- Dozent/in: Wieki Somers