Lidewij Edelkoort’s Talking Textiles – Dorothy Waxman Textile Design Prize

Sat, May 9 - Tue, May 19  2015

Talking Textiles, an initiative by Lidewij Edelkoort, will present the work of the 10 finalists of the Dorothy Waxman Textile Design Prize at Wanted Design during NYCxDESIGN 2015.

About the Dorothy Waxman Textile Design Prize

“We are on a quest to save textiles – to take them to new dimensions”

It is important to honor textiles because they are an endangered species. Mills and factories around the world are vanishing one by one and educational institutions are downsizing their departments or replacing looms with computers; soon fresh talent may have no place to go.

Creativity is the only solution. This is why Talking Textiles has started the inaugural Dorothy Waxman Textile Design Prize, awarding $5,000 to a student whose work fosters innovation. This inspiring selection of finalists from more than 200 international entries showcases some of the most exciting ideas today for fashion and lifestyle. These textiles will speak loud and clear and become the fabrics of life, knitting stories, illustrating patterns, whispering well-being and reviving the act of creative weaving.

Talking Textiles is an initiative by Lidewij Edelkoort and Philip Fimmano. Exhibitions in Milan, Stockholm and Tilburg as well as seminars such as the one in New York on May 13 bring attention to the plight of the textile industry, educating professionals and consumers alike about the importance of fabrics.

About Lidewij Edelkoort

Lidewij Edelkoort is a trend forecaster, curator, publisher and educator who constantly   lives in the future. Studying the links between art, fashion, design and consumer culture,  Edelkoort!s work has pioneered trend forecasting as a profession, providing design and  lifestyle analysis for the world!s leading brands. Since 1992, her magazines (View on  Colour, InView and Bloom) have been highly influential in the creative industries.

Recently, her work has evolved into the realms of education at the Design Academy Eindhoven where she was Chairwoman from 1999 to 2008, humanitarianism within the   Heartwear craft foundation she co-founded in 1993, and curatorial work as she delvesinto the art and design domain, illuminating museums and exhibits around the world. In   2008, the French Ministry of Culture honoured her as a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres and the Dutch Royal Family named her a Knight in the Order of Oranje Nassau.

2009 saw the launch of Archeology of the Future, a retrospective seen in Paris and Eindhoven, highlighting Edelkoort!s forecasting as a landmark medium of social commentary over  the last twenty years.