The DIALOGUES exhibition showcases the textile artistry and expertise of the bachelor’s and master’s textile design graduates of the Swedish School of Textiles (University of Borås) and from the graduates of the master’s program in Fashion and Textile Design at Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture. The curated textile design works focus on practice-led research and creative future solutions with a multidisciplinary mindset, driving to reach a shared dialogue.

DIALOGUES presents textiles as a medium for creativity, design, technology and innovation. The many challenges facing the textile and fashion industries are addressed in this exhibition through different perspectives and expressions, ranging from design research projects to art installations.

This exhibition continues the series DIALOGUES, presenting textiles as a medium for future solutions. DIALOGUES launched in New York in November 2022 with a joint exhibition and seminar by Aalto University and Parsons.

See more of the DIALOGUES@DDW:

Dutch Design Week Website

See more of previous DIALOGUES exhibitions:

2022 DIALOGUES Event in New York
2022 DIALOGUES Creating New Textile Futures in Dipoli
2023 DIALOGUES An Ode to Textile Stories in Oodi

Exhibitors:
Aalto University:
Nestor Ailoranta, Jahnavee Baruah & Lau Kaker, Ludvig Borén, Jarubhorn Brahmaphalin, Yen-Hua Chen, Ilkhe Du Toit, Venla Elonsalo, Leonardo Hidalgo Uribe, Yu-Chen Lin, Eszter Nagy, Janneke Spaan, Eeva Sundell

The Swedish School of Textiles (University of Borås):
Amarins Bokma, Anouk Bekaert, Arthur Barbosa Barros, Boukje Kemper, Catarina Pica, Ellen Lagerström, Emma van Gerven, Ethan Fenske, Fay Oberdorf, Fredrika Holmberg, Hedda Lundström, Jasmijn Taken, Josephine d’Avis, Karoline Helbo, Malin Carlström, Margot Malpote, Marije Dijkstra, Rosa Lützen, Slávka Novosad, Wiepke Wolfsbergen

DIALOGUES@DDW Exhibition Team
Curators:
Marjan Kooroshnia, Maarit Salolainen, Maija Fagerlund
Producer: Nora Bremer

textiles.aalto.fi

@aaltotextiles

hb.se/en/the-swedish-school-of-textiles

@sst_textiledesign

ddw.nl

The Näytös24-award went to Petra Lehtinen for her MA thesis collection av yv. The jury for the award consisted of Stephanie D’Heygere, Annabel Fernandes, Ane Lynge-Jorlén and Antti Kekki.

Read the description of Petra’s work below.

Petra Lehtinen’s graduate collection “av yv” (meaning: an online marketplace shorthand term in Finnish and translates as “preliminary reservations, direct message”) explores garments that are removed from the wardrobe, but which are still kept by storing them in personal storage spaces. By studying the significance of archives in fashion, the concept of the collection is to bring clothes back from the archives, and to transform them from being unnecessary and space-consuming to being important by naming them as an actual archive. This act has guided Lehtinen’s creative process while also serving all the material for the new collection.

– Despite my initial intention to sell or repurpose clothes, they persisted in storage, lingering in bags and vacuum- sealed pouches, shuttling from one storage location to another during my relocations. This collection delves into capturing the intricate relationship that consumers, especially myself, have with garments in the era of mass consumption, Lehtinen explains.

Lehtinen sees the absurdity of contemporary consumption culture as worth documenting. Inspired by art movements like Nouveau Realisme and the Duchampian readymades, the collection involves direct appropriation of reality, such as garments sealed in vacuum bags. Lehtinen also drew inspiration from individual garments from the archive and how clothes are typically combined and layered in them. One of the designer’s once cherished objects was a silk shirt with an apple print and the text “SILK APPLE IN PARADISE”. It also engendered Lehtinen’s method of a “serpent-cut technique”, where archive pieces are combined with a spiralling cut.

– I identify with the sentiment expressed by the artist Andrea Zittel who finds satisfaction in self-made creative constraints. Similarly, my work questions what freedom really means as it is framed by capitalist society – perhaps the only way to be free is to make our own rules and criteria that fit within the rules already placed upon us.

By choosing to work with readymade materials, Lehtinen’s aim was to redirect the time designers usually spend browsing through fabric suppliers to the creative work and problem-solving. The temporal
aspect also connected to the concept of the archive by acknowledging that it has actually taken years to subconsciously collect the items in it.

@aalto_fashion

Additionally, Aalto Fashion launches a new event for 2024: Näyttely24, an annual exhibition showcasing graduate collections from BA and MA students.

The annual awards were granted to the graduates. Find all the awards and the winners below:

Näytös24 award: Petra Lehtinen / Näyttely24 award: Venla Elonsalo

Jury:

Stephanie D’Heygere, creative director and senior designer
Annabel Fernandes, image and communications specialist
Ane Lynge-Jorlén, Director of ALPHA, an organisation that supports and empowers emerging Nordic fashion designers internationally
Antti Kekki, graphic designer

Espoo award: Minerva Skyttä

Given by Jukka Mäkelä, Mayor of Espoo

Youth jury:
Akseli Rakkola
Emilia Hänninen
Otso Pöntys
Sofia Garmash
Yandi Koka
Aapu Prokki

Jury mentor: Ervin Latimer, designer

Marimekko award: Jere Vilo

Jury:

Satu Maaranen, Head Designer
Emmakaisa Kirves, Design Director of Ready-to-Wear and Bags & Accessories

Fiskars award: Lauri Greis

Jury:

Petteri Masalin, Chief Design Officer
Vesa Kemppainen, Art Director
Noora Hostikka, PR Director

Konstsamfundet award: Lauri Greis

Jury:

Cilla Lönnqvist, Board Member, Board of Directors at Amos Rex
Leif Jakobsson, Director of Svenska Kulturfonden
Kieran Long, Museum Director at Amos Rex

Emma Museum award: Enni Lähderinne

Jury:

Pilvi Kalhama, Executive Director
Reetta Kalajo, Chief Curator
Salla Engström, Chief Shop Manager
Iris Suomi,  Chief Marketing Communications Specialist
Saara Suojoki, Development Director

Congratulations to all winners and all the graduates!

@aalto_fashion

Here, textiles are presented as a medium for creativity, design, narratives, and innovation, bridging storytelling and tactility. The interconnectedness of textiles and storytelling, lies in the etymology of the word text, deriving from the Latin root texere, “to weave”. The pieces and projects in this exhibition approach problem-solving and creative expression through different means, showing a diverse range of possibilities when it comes to material interpretations of textile stories.

This exhibition continues the series DIALOGUES, presenting textiles as a medium for future solutions. Launched in New York in November 2022 with a joint exhibition and seminar by Aalto University and Parsons – The New School, the exhibition was expanded on return to the Dipoli Gallery, Aalto University in Espoo in December 2022. The partnership with Central Library Oodi brings textile stories from Aalto University to new audiences in Helsinki.

SEE THE VIRTUAL EXHIBITION

Exhibiting Designers and Research Groups: 

Sanna Ahonen / Lorena Articadi / Nora Bremer / Venla Elonsalo / Anusuya Krishnaswamy /Josh Krute / Ella Siltavuori / Kristin Ferrell / Multifunctional Materials Design Research Group: Jaana Vapaavuori, Laura Koskelo, Maija Vaara, Mithila Mohan, Pedro Silva, Zahra Madani / Sun-Powered Textiles-Moiré project: Zuzana Zmatekova, Janne Halme, Elina Ilén, Maarit Salolainen / BioColour-Natural Indigo project: Kirsi Niinimäki, Arttu Åfeldt, Maija Fagerlund, Anna-Mari Leppisaari / Ioncell® Lindström towel project knit – Ioncell® research team & Elina Onkinen, Kasia Gorniak / Leonardo Hidalgo Uribe / Ia Kähkönen / Helmi Liikanen / Jarno Kettunen / Elisa Defossez

DIALOGUES Exhibition Team:

Concept and curation: Maarit Salolainen
Curator, Aalto Exhibitions: Edel O’Reilly
Exhibition coordinator: Nora Bremer
Graphic design: Aino Salonen

Collaborators:

Aalto Studios
Aalto Printlab & Bookstudio
Helsinki Central Library Oodi

textiles.aalto.fi

@aaltotextiles

Video: Aino Salonen

Read Aalto ARTS News article

The winning prize is 50,000 Danish kroner (ca. 6 700 euro), a study trip to UEDA College of Fashion in Osaka, Japan and a unique trophy created by artist Karl Monies. Koivula was also awarded a place in the upcoming exhibition ‘Nordic Fashion Now: Knitwear and Print’ at the Röhsska Museum in Gothenburg, together with finalist Sasha Heinsaar from The Swedish School of Textiles in Sweden.

In addition, a paid internship in Paris at MM6 Margiela was awarded to Kaapo Sinervo from the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture.

Among the ten designer finalists this season were three graduates from Aalto University: Hanna Hanhela, Tuuli-Tytti Koivula, Kaapo Sinervo – together with other finalists Hedvig Ljungström, Marie-Louise Guldbæk Andersen, Desirée Bjurinder Fritzon, Elma Leminen, Julie Lundgaard Christophersen, Samuel Westerberg and Sasha Heinsaar.

See more:

Aalto Fashion – Tuuli-Tytti Koivula’s collection in Näytös 22

Alpha Fashion Competition

This exhibition continues the series DIALOGUES, presenting textiles as a medium for future solutions. DIALOGUES launched in New York in November 2022 with a joint exhibition and seminar by Aalto University and Parsons – The New School.

The exhibition presents creative design work, artistic exploration, material solutions and design pedagogy demonstrating the multitude of textile work across disciplines at Aalto University. DIALOGUES – Creating New Textile Futures at Dipoli Gallery features work from Aalto ARTS, Aalto SCI, Aalto CHEM, Aalto ENG and Aalto ELEC.

See the virtual exhibition

Exhibitors: Nora Bremer, Sven Bossuyt, You-Chia Chen, Elisa Defossez, Venla Elonsalo, Francesco Furlan, Ramyah Gowrishankar, Sofía Guridi, Leonardo Hidalgo Uribe, Helmiina Hirviniemi, Yun-Jung Hsieh, Leevi Ikäheimo, Iines Jakovlev, Pia Johansson, Jarno Kettunen, Yoonsik Kim, Hanna-Kaisa Korolainen, Josh Krute, Praejeen Kunawong, Miisa Lehto & Samu Salovaara, Anna-Mari Leppisaari, Helmi Liikanen, Mithila Mohan, Hilda Niemelä, Aino Ojala, Tuulikki Peltonen, Emmi Pouta, Maarit Salolainen, Laura Rusanen, Ulla Vahteri

Ioncell / Lindström towel project knit: Elina Onkinen, Kasia Gorniak; Sun-powered Textiles / Moiré project: Zuzana Zmatekova, Janne Halme, Elina Ilén; BioColour / Natural Indigo project: Arttu Åfeldt, Kirsi Niinimäki, Maija Fagerlund, CHEMARTS; Wearable systems Lab: Xiao Yu, Aalto University Bioinnovation center; Aalto University research groups: Fashion/Textile Futures, Mobile Cloud Computing Multifunctional Materials Design; Kuura/Metsä Group

Dialogues Exhibition Team
Concept: Maarit Salolainen
Curation: Maarit Salolainen, Anna-Mari Leppisaari and Maija Fagerlund
Production: Nora Bremer
Exhibition design: Hanna Anonen
Graphic design: Aino Salonen
Dipoli Gallery Curator: Edel O’ Reilly

textiles.aalto.fi

@aaltotextiles

Exhibition Dates: 28.11.2022-28.02.2023

Mon-Thu: 8:00–20:00 / Fri: 8:00–18:00 / Sat-Sun: Closed

Dipoli Gallery, Otakaari 24, 02150 Espoo / Aalto University

Video: Aino Salonen

Read more:

Aalto University News – Dialogues exhibition 23.11.2022

Students from Aalto University in Hyères fashion competition finals

Juha Vehmaanperä MA student

Sini Saavala MA student – L’Atelier des Matières Prize

Jenny Hytönen BA alumni – Grand prize and Audience Award

Jenny Hytönen’s winning collection called “Untitled” is based on a contrast of sensitivity and roughness: it is a combination of crystal-embroidered, transparent mesh fabrics and heavily riveted leather.

The collection was topped by the “Cyborg,” which featured a bridal veil incorporating 25,000 glass beads hand placed during the knitting process, and an LED bodysuit with a heart sensor that materialized the wearer’s heartbeat with pulsating lights.

Glenn Martens, Chairman of the Jury of the Hyères Fashion Competition and Creative Director of Y/Project and Diesel, praised Hytönen’s collection in Women’s wear daily magazine for “a perfect design, but one that showed extreme creativity”.

Jenny Hytönen

Hytönen is a fashion designer who graduated from Aalto University with a major in fashion and is currently interning with Belgian designer Olivier Theyskens in Paris. Last year, her collection won the Aalto University’s Näytös21 Award, the jury describing the collection as impressive, balanced and mature.

In Hyères, Hytönen will receive a €20 000 grant from fashion house Chanel and fashion trade fair organiser Première Vision, as well as the opportunity to create capsule collections for ready-to-wear brand Icicle and Parisian department store Galeries Lafayette.

Sini Saavala

In addition to Hytönen, the final of the fashion competition saw also an MA sudent Sini Saavala and recent graduate Juha Vehmaanperä from Aalto University’s major in fashion. Saavala won the L’Atelier des Matières prize with her “Unwearable” collection. She used 90% recycled materials, such as sweaty cotton undershirts and vintage underwear dyed in the era. This is the first time the prize has been awarded in Hyères and it highlights the importance of recycling.

Read more

Aalto University News – Jenny Hytönen wins the Hyères International Fashion Competition

As the textile and fashion industries are undergoing significant turmoil, the urgent need for solutions to critical challenges, from overproduction, irresponsible waste, and supply chain management to the exhaustive use of natural resources, grows greater.

The new generation of textile and fashion designers is crucial to unlocking these challenges, together with the introduction of groundbreaking novel processes and material innovations that offer smart, circular alternatives for the materials in use today.

DIALOGUES is a transatlantic showcase of creative design work, material solutions and design pedagogy offering a platform for cross-sectoral dialogue on textile futures across borders. The exhibition and seminar take place in New York City from November 2nd to 6th as part of the New York Textile Month 2022.

The exhibition presents an interplay between the contemporary textile and fashion design practices by master’s students of Fashion and Textile Design at Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture in Finland and MFA Textiles Programme at Parsons in the United States. The seminar connects creatives, educators, innovators, and leaders from Finland and the US to reimagine the landscape of tomorrow’s textiles and fashion, driving a shared dialogue spanning over continents and into the future.

The projects from Aalto University include a research-driven project on compression textiles used in healthcare, a study on natural dyes that originate from food waste, and the dialogue between light-emitting technology and textiles, combining material science and traditional weaving.

“Aalto University with its six schools forms a multidisciplinary environment, which sets the scene for the student’s studies. The focus of the curation is on practice-led research and creative future solutions. Textile thinking and studio pedagogy, highlighted by the newly published book Interwoven – Exploring Mate-rials and Structures, stand at the forefront of this exhibition, as they are the base for textile design studies at Aalto. We are delighted to share our textile stories with the MFA Textiles of Parsons in this New York Textile Month event. New innovations for textile futures come from shared passion, creative dialogues and interaction.” notes Maarit Salolainen, head of the Master’s in Fashion, Clothing and Textile Design at Aalto University.

DIALOGUES is presented by Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Parsons School of Design, The Consulate General of Finland in New York, The Finnish Cultural Institute in New York, Business Finland, and Juni Communication, in collaboration with New York Textile Month.

Aalto Students taking part in the exhibition:

Aino Ojala, Elisa Defossez, Francesco Furlan, Jarno Kettunen, Laura Rusanen, Leevi Ikäheimo, Leonardo Hidalgo Uribe, Mithila Mohan, Nora Bremer, Praejeen Kunawong, Sofía Guridi, Ulla Vahteri, Yoonsik Kim, You-Chia Chen

See more:

NY Textile Month – DIALOGUES

Aalto Textiles Instagram

DIALOGUES Press Release

Interwoven – Exploring Materials and Structures is a joyous exploration into woven textile design. It dissects woven structures along with the fibres and yarns used to make them, giving exceptional insight into the world of fabrics.

Interwoven outlines how the manifold history of textiles has been intertwined with human innovation from prehistoric twining to the invention of the binary code, through to today’s new material discoveries and urgent quest for sustainability. By investigating the past and present of textiles, and narrating their cross-cultural roles, meanings and influences, Interwoven illustrates how textiles have been used to tell human stories throughout the ages.

The book introduces a new pedagogical method for woven textile design studies, inviting the reader to take a seat at the looms to weave their own stories. Detailed instructions for creating textiles, ranging from fibres and yarns to basic weaves, multi-layered constructions and digital jacquard design, are interspersed by emotionally rich, tactile textile stories by Aalto ARTS design students. The way this book interweaves technical knowledge, artistic expression and storytelling makes it a unique guide on the path to mastering textile design.

This book weaves the warp of wisdom and the weft of wonder into a fabric of fascinating complexity. Displaying a burst of creativity coupled with a sense of functionality it shows a deep respect for our pummeled planet.

From pre-historic constructions to futuristic applications, this book demonstrates the intelligence of weaving.

Lidewij Edelkoort

Aalto University introduces “textile thinking” pedagogy. Professor Maarit Salolainen explains how textile knowledge is needed in many different fields.

Buy the book

Buy the book from Aalto Shop

Textile and print design is facing a new era. Technological developments are constantly opening up new possibilities, and Aalto University fashion and textile design students are increasingly using digital textile printing to design printed fabrics and products for fashion and interior design. This is one of the reasons why textile printer manufacturer Epson has been collaborating with Aalto University in the field of digital textile printing since 2019.

This spring, Epson and Aalto University organised an Epson Textile Print competition in conjunction with the Advanced Textile Workshop courses for Master’s degree students, where students used Epson’s textile printers.

The competition kicked off with a two-day masterclass workshop led by Daniel Henry, a Belgian textile designer visiting Aalto University. He is a founder of Daniel Henry Studio and an internationally renowned designer who works with several fashion houses. The project was led by Anna-Mari Leppisaari, Lecturer in Textile Design at Aalto University.

The competition and winners

Students were tasked with designing a collection of at least four fabrics, creatively combining woven, knitted or otherwise modified print bases for digital printing on an Epson direct-to-garment DTG or sublimation printer.

The jury unanimously selected the collection of Nour Ainasoja, a student in the Fashion, Clothing and Textile Design Master’s programme, as the winner of the Epson Textile Print competition.

The jury also awarded a special mention to Sanna Ahonen, a student in the Fashion, Clothing and Textile Design Master’s programme, and Takako Akimoto, a student in the Textiles, Material and Structure minor, for their high-quality work, which creatively combined both print fabric design and woven fabrics.

Read the whole article

What is the future of digital textile printing? on Aalto University News