Talking Textiles By Li Edelkoort

Thu, Apr 28 - Tue, May 3  2016

Tishman Auditorium

Li Edelkoort, one of the most famous trend forecasters in the Netherlands, and director of Trend Tablet & Trend Union, will give another seminar of Talking Textiles. And on May 3, Li, and several speakers, are talking about the Return of Regional Production, in Talking Textiles.

About Talking Textiles – The Return of Regional Production

The TALKING TEXTILES CONFERENCE is an inspiring and educational half-day seminar to talk about textiles for fashion and interiors – exploring the important trends, fabrics, yarns and techniques for the seasons to come. Hosted in New York, the event elevates textile education for both students and professionals alike and is offered free to students and faculty, while tickets are available for purchase for professionals and textiles enthusiasts. In this full day program, Li and several fashion production companies will share their thoughts about regional productions. Get your tickets here.

At a time when textile heritage is at a crossroads and most production has moved abroad, a new current of local mills are making waves by showing us how weaving is being revived just around the corner. Whether producing small runs of creative cloth or honoring age-old knowledge and artisan technical skills, industrial factories and design studios are now being transformed. There’s clearly hope at the end of the tunnel, and regional production is back!

Full program May 3:

10:30 doors open
11:00 The Return of Regional Production
Welcome by Lidewij Edelkoort

11:15 Preservation 101: Documenting America’s Remaining Textile Factories
by Christopher Payne, Photographer, New York

11:30 Weaving 101: Made in America 2.0
by Jacob Long, CEO, American Woolen Company, Connecticut

12:00 Speaker to be announced

12:30 Fiber 101: The Unveiling of Spider Silk
by Jamie Bainbridge, Vice President of Product Development, Bolt Threads, California

1:00 Break

2.30 Speaker to be announced

3:00 Carpet 101: Craftmanship Made in the South

3:30 The Dorothy Waxman International Textile Design Prize – Winner Announcement
by Dorothy Waxman & Philip Fimmano, Director, Edelkoort Inc., New York

3:45 Approximate end

About Lidewij Edelkoort

Lidewij Edelkoort is one of the world’s most famous trend forecasters. As an intuitive thinker who travels the world studying the evolution of socio-cultural trends before sharing this information with her clients in industries as diverse as fashion, textiles, interiors, cars, cosmetics, retail and food. Under her Paris-based company Trend Union, Edelkoort creates trend books two or more years ahead that are tools used by strategists, designers and marketeers at international brands.

Edelkoort has worked for some of the world’s best-known companies, for example: advising Coca-Cola how Sprite should communicate with emerging youth archetypes; defining how western perceptions of Japanese culture can benefit Nissan to improve sales and build their identity abroad; explaining how technology, design and services will be affected by newly-formed social networks amongst consumers under 20 years-old for Time Warner Cable; forecasting new consumer archetypes for Esprit as far forward as 2068; and proposing business development ideas for Lacoste’s expansion into new fields of interest outside of fashion.