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The workshop drew inspiration from the pioneering work of MANTECO, a wool recycling facility known for its MWool® recycled wool and transparent, low-impact production processes. Students were invited to engage deeply with the company’s values and materials, exploring how their own concepts might align with or be inspired by:
— Material storytelling through ethical sourcing and ecological integrity
— Textile reuse and repurposing
— Local, closed-loop systems
— Respect for craftsmanship and heritage
The day began with a lecture by Prof. Fantini van Ditmar introducing key concepts in regenerative design and fashion’s potential as a driver of socio-ecological transformation. Ariane Fourquier UNWEAVE / REWEAVE session followed, encouraging students to consider: What if unweaving became the starting point for creation? How could you reweave incorporating regenerative principles?
The day concluded with an embodied systems-thinking session led by Louis Alderson-Bythell (PhD candidate at Istituto Europeo di Design), where students developed their own planetary boundaries for fashion and explored the ATELIER SENSIAOLO—a practice rooted in the tactile expertise of CENSIAIOLO, rag-men who distinguish textiles through sensory knowledge (much better than machines).
‘How can art and design cultivate critical expressions rooted in ethics of care and relationality to influence ecological, social, and economic structures?’
Delfina Fantini van Ditmar, PhD, focuses on ecological design and reflective practices as Professor Regenerative Art and Design. With a background in biology and design research, she explores paradigm shifts and material ethics, advancing regenerative and more-than-human perspectives
The Regenerative Art and Design (RAD) research group seeks to contribute to a new generation of regenerative designers and artists who address the pressing need for transitions that support planetary health. By taking whole systems responsibility through collaborative practices, the group aims to create transformative pathways for reimagining design futures grounded in care and ecological integrity.
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