Besides an impressive array of machinery, we have an even more impressive team of textile specialists. Look around to see which of our specialists can help you during your working period in the TextielLab.
Veva van der Wolf, passementerie and circular knitting specialist
Veva graduated from the ArtEZ art academy in 2014 with a degree in fashion. She first came to the TextielLab as a student, developing her graduation project in the lab with knitting specialist Sarena. It was during this period that she discovered her love of manual textile techniques. After graduating, she worked as a knitting and embroidery specialist for several major fashion houses in London. She joined the TextielLab in 2018 as a passementerie and circular knitting specialist. She enjoys the challenge of constantly rediscovering old techniques for new applications. She has worked with Tanja Smeets, Otobong Nkanga and Envisions, among others.
Karen Zeedijk, tufting and passementerie specialist
Karen is multitalented when it comes to crafts. She trained as a furniture maker, then worked for five years as a glass artist specialising in stained glass. In 2004, she joined the TextielLab as a tufting specialist, making hand-tufted works in collaboration with professional makers. In 2012, she expanded her expertise to include passementerie techniques. Karen uses her broad experience to effortlessly translate a maker’s ideas into unique works, without losing sight of the maker’s distinct signature. She is also able to come up with creative solutions within the limits of a technique that serve the design. Karen collaborated with well-known artists such as Robert Zandvliet and Otobong Nkanga. Another good example is her collaboration with fashion designer Jan Taminiau. For his first couture show in Paris, Karen developed a refined tufted dress, a remarkable achievement given that tufting is generally used only for heavy rugs.
