Saxon Textile Research Institute e.V. (STFI)
Chemnitz, the European Capital of Culture 2025, is opening its doors to textile designers, textile artists and experts from the fields of fashion, art and textiles: with the “Tour de LOOP” on May 26 and 27, 2025, participants can expect an exclusive professional trip to one of the most traditional and at the same time most innovative textile regions in Europe. 19 visitors from Europe will explore Chemnitz and its textile region. The participants come from the Netherlands, Austria, Czech Republic, Great Britain and Germany.
Once known as the “Saxon Manchester”, Chemnitz today inspires with sustainable textile production, digital textile design and artistic diversity. The two-day tour impressively combines the history, present and future of textile creation.
Program highlights:
– Exclusive guided tours focusing on textile history and textile technologies
– Workshop and live demonstrations offering insights into innovative techniques and artistic approaches
– City centre tour and playful exploration of the European Capital of Culture with a visit to the Chemnitz 2025 Information Centre
– Exchange with creatives, designers and scientists from Chemnitz and Europe during expert discussions and a networking evening
Special stops on the trip include the Esche LAB in Limbach-Oberfrohna on May 26, 2025 – a workshop for creative textile work with a focus on knitting, embroidery and ready-to-wear clothing – and the renowned Saxon Textile Research Institute (STFI) on May 27, 2025, which offers opportunities for artistic textile projects and research collaborations. The program at the Esche Museum includes a guided tour of the special exhibition Fabric Visions and a workshop in the ESCHE Lab, which opened at the beginning of the year. Visitors to the STFI can look forward to an insight into the technological possibilities of the Textile Lab Professional. In addition to surface technologies such as knitting, weaving, warp knitting, functionalization and textile recycling, the route leads to the textile factory of the future, which is an experimental space for digitalization in textile production. Tour de LOOP is a joint offer of the Makers, Business & Arts project of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025, the Esche Museum and the Saxon Textile Research Institute (STFI).
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