On March 20-22, the School of Fashion’s KnitLAB hosted KnitFUTURES: a symposium to energize the advancement of knitting to support people, environment, and place across disciplines, and to engage researchers from both academia and industry for conversation, knowledge exchange and collaboration.
“As academic researchers and designers working with digital knitting in fashion, interior design, and architecture, we wanted to create a venue to gather and learn from fellow practitioners, researchers, educators, and designers,” said Krissi Riewe Stevenson, Assistant Professor of Fashion Design at Kent State.
Knit FUTURES welcomed attendees from 24 universities, seven countries, and 23 companies and brands around the world. The three-day event featured sessions of presentations and panel discussions, resource booths, and a Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series workshop and keynote lecture featuring Thijs Verhaar and Lyske Gais.
Thijs Verhaar, founder of Knitwear Lab, a knit design lab and consultancy, also designs for his own label, Thijs Verhaar Knitwear. With over 30 years in industrial knitting, his creations are inspired by the vibrant colors and geometric patterns found in European culture and design. Lyske Gais, Head of Virtual Knitting at Knitwear Lab, navigates between the analog and digital realms. With a diverse skill set spanning spatial design, graphic design, and 3D visualizations, she works with Virtual Knitting—an innovative approach to digital knitting programming and design, technology and craftsmanship.
Together, Verhaar and Gais gave an engaging presentation and workshop about “Revolutionizing The Way of Knitwear Development.”
KnitWORKSHOP
Energized from the KnitFUTURES Symposium, the KnitLAB is already planning their next event: KnitWORKSHOP. This onsite workshop will take place May 10 through June 25, 2024 and will focus on designing and understanding knit stitches in actual and digital format. The workshop will include two days onsite in the Kent State University KnitLAB and six weeks remote training.
About the Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series
Since 2001, the Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series has presented guest artists respected in the field of theatre, dance, visual arts, music and architecture. The Schroth series was established by Cecile Draime and her late husband, Max, of Warren, Ohio, to honor their dear friend Thomas Schroth (1922-1997). A noted regional architect, Schroth designed the Butler Institute of Art’s Trumbull museum in Howland, as well as numerous other award-winning projects. Thomas Schroth spent his life in Niles, Ohio, as a prominent architect and inveterate collaborator in the artistic life of the Mahoning Valley and Northeast Ohio. A world traveler, he saw human creativity as a window framing human experience. The Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series brings diverse views through that window to the Kent campus and community.
The next Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist is Pauline St. Denis, who leading workshops and giving a keynote lecture as part of Kent State Fashion Week.