With clothing and linens that arrive it your doorstep cheap and on demand, textiles and fashion seem more opaque and removed from the average person than ever despite us being surrounded by more fabric than ever – more than any other time in history. DesignPhiladelphia is here to bridge that gap! We have a slate of events that can teach you about the origins of fabric and the modern fashion industry to cultural influences & trends to hands-on workshops and fashion shows. Mark your calendars and buy your tickets!

Fashion Face-Off

Thomas Jefferson University Fashion Design department will be hosting their annual Fashion Face-Off. The event will feature two fashion-related panel discussions on "Sustainability, Environment, & Ethics: The Psychology of Consumer Habits" and "AI Takeover in Fashion Design". Fashion industry professionals from various backgrounds will be invited to partake in panel discussions around these topics.

Chasing the Dragon: China in the Western Imagination Gallery Talk

Join the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design Professors Clare Sauro and Pamela Yau for a gallery talk about Chasing the Dragon: China in the Western Imagination currently on display in the Robert and Penny Fox Historic Costume Collection Gallery. This exhibition deliberately de-centers the traditional Euro-American fashion chronicle in favor of multiple fashion narratives and encourages audiences to consider the Chinese origins of the garments on display.

The objects on display represent the original garments produced in China, the Euro-American fashions inspired by them, and styles made in Hong Kong, Manila, and Honolulu that reflect the cultural fusion that occurs with global trade. Sauro and Yau will discuss the exhibition process from start to finish and the challenges they faced.

The Dobbins High School Fashion Experience

Come to Cherry Street Pier to see clothing made by the talent at Philadelphia's only public fashion high school, the Fashion Program at Dobbins High School. Exploring identity and self-expression through fashion, these fashion design students have created clothing that responds to various social and cultural backgrounds by experimenting with and combining traditional and modern textile techniques.

Made Institute 10th Anniversary Fashion Show and Fundraiser

Celebrate 10 years of accessible fashion education with Made Institute’s fashion show and fundraiser. Featuring the collections of our talented Graduate and All Star designers, the fashion show will be held at Cherry Street Pier on the October 14 with an opportunity to shop the runway right after the show. Support future talent as you shop!

The Fabric of Life: Textiles Across the Arts, Science, and Technology

The history of textiles, sewing, and weaving begins about 60,000-100,000 years ago when our ancestors began producing twine from vegetable fibers and animals’ sinews and the first needles to sew together animal pelts for clothing and shelter. The importance of textiles to human existence, to the preservation of human life and the development of civilization, is clearly attested by elements of creation myths across the globe and in numerous languages, in which tales are “spun” and we communicate in “threads.”

Beyond clothing, weaving and the use of textiles have always played a fundamental role in constructing shelters, from prehistoric tents to the most modern buildings, where new, technical textiles increase durability, safety, hygiene, etc.; they are indispensable in medicine, starting with the simple need for cloth to “dress” wounds to the creation of artificial veins and joints; they have played an essential part in the development of the automotive and aeronautical industry, from the sails of ancient boats to the solar sails of satellites. We can certainly say that the metaphorical fabric of our society and life is literally dependent on the production, use, and commerce of textiles, which we now need to re-examine also in their impact on our natural environment. “The Fabric of Life: Textiles Across the Arts, Science, and Technology” aims at exploring the importance of textiles with experts in several fields.

Botanical dye : print with wildflowers

Put all your fashion and textile knowledge to use with a hands-on bundle dye workshop! You will create original textiles using natural materials including wildflowers.  Print your own colorful textile design and learn natural dye techniques.

Textile Design Symposium: Impact

This year’s Textile Design Symposium focuses on Impact, celebrating and focusing on the impact that designers have throughout the supply chain, from materiality to inclusivity and sustainability to circularity.  The symposium will be comprised of multiple speakers, presented in hybrid format (on campus for the university community and virtually for all other guests).