What will fashion look like in the future? Will we dress ourselves with fabrics made from mushrooms or old fruit? Marina Toeters, design and research in Fashion Technology at by-wire.net, and ambassador of the sector Fashion & Workwear at Material Xperience paints a picture of her vision of the future of fashion for us in this interview! Click here for a free entry ticket for Material Xperience!

How will we dress ourselves in 100 years, if it were up to you?
How and why we dress ourselves will not change much: we dress ourselves to protect our body and to present ourselves to the outside world. But with what we dress ourselves and, more importantly, how it is made will be subject to change. Designers and companies are already working on different production processes.

What do you think is the best invention ever and why?
For me, it is not one time inventions that are important, but the system as a whole. This is what makes the developments in textile and fashion super complex, but also incredibly fascinating!

What are the most important material innovations within your sector and why?
The most important material innovations can be divided into production, technology, biological materials and trends.

“Production 4.0”, for instance, concerns 3D printed garments that ensure a better fit and less overproduction. What kinds of materials are used for clothing can change in coming years. With biotechnology, materials that were previously not available for clothing can suddenly be a sustainable alternative.

By including technology in textile, creating e-textiles, extra functions can be included.

There are also interesting developments that make you look twice or have you think about your relationship with textile/clothing.

To inspire people with these important material innovations, we have put them in the limelight at the fashion exhibit at Material Xperience. Here, the above mention projects and many others can be admired.

With which other sector is your sector related most or is the most cross-pollination when it comes to material innovation?
Interior and architecture are very much related to fashion. Fashion is a second skin. Interior, in which a lot of textile is used as well, is the third. Architecture is the fourth. The principles of designing around humans are the same, but innovations are approached from different angles. We could learn a lot from each other.

Materia aims to connect various parties. Which other person or party do you think people should get to know and why?
For me, these are the people working on the above mentioned material innovations. One such person is Brigitte Kock, who, by 3D printing garments, wants to make the production process more sustainable.

Aniela Hoitink researches how mycelium can be used as textile and clothing. Because the material is 100% biodegradable, the garment can be put in the ground after use. This way, consumers do not have to change their shopping behaviour, but it is less polluting.

The work of Krist Kuusk shows the possibilities of technology and textile, such as taking care of the body. In other projects, she shows how technology can make textile interactive and change it time and again.

Last but not least, Anouk van de Sande, whose prints change with every movement you make. This way, her garments are different every time.

Marvel at all trends shown at the exhibition at Material Xperience!

Marina Toeters at Material Xperience
Marina is the ambassador of the sector Fashion & Workwear at Material Xperience. Together with Materia, she has put together an exhibition with some of the most interesting projects within the fashion sector. Want a sneak peek of what to expect? Click here.

Wednesday 14 March, Marina will host a series of pitches along with Jasna Rokegem about sustainable fashion! For the full lecture programme, click here.

About Marina Toeters
Marina Toeters operates on the edge of fashion technology and fashion design. Through her website, by-wire.net, she stimulates collaboration between the fashion industry and technicians for a relevant fashion system and supportive garments for everyday use.

She advises, amongst others, Philips Research and the European Space Agency on product development. As a teacher, coach and researcher, she works for the fashion department at the Utrecht school of Arts, textile department at Saxion University for applied science and industrial design faculty in the Eindhoven University of Technology.

Her goal is to make fashion innovative, by incorporating wearable technology, new materials, and innovative production methods in our current fashion system.