The academia – engagement and pan European mentoring programm (PEM), initiated by Marina-Elena Wachs, grew up in the last decade. With the publication of her own post doc thesis ‘Design Engineering – sustainable and holistic’ and the experiences around that time, it was clear, that Initial Teaching Education (ITE) and a mentoring for affordable skills beyond university programs could be experienced in a stress free but very condensed working and designing atmosphere.
It is Marina’s dedication to support different competences by selected new talents, for new performances during the digitalization phase and fourth industrial revolution, and the ‘design shift’, that goes along with.
Within the management and teaching experiences – workshop leaderships and playful maker spaces – in Germany, Sweden and UK (RCA London) – Marina Wachs interest in cross cultural and non hierarchical design learning and ideation gave space to … and is worthwhile of a sustainable design thinking and acting after the study time, for transformation to formats of the creative industries – the benefit will last for the mentees: Interdisciplinary Workshops, cross cultural common congress submissions and interactions – together for Europe.
During the time of writing the doctoral thesis at HBK Braunschweig, Marina Wachs just was integrated in consulting other design projects of younger student generations. The coaching competence was already asked early on, during the education at couture studio of her apprenticeship and afterwards in educating own young people within her design studio.
Marina-Elena Wachs’ great experiences in crafts, industry and academia programs around Europe, gives her power and communicating skills, which is worthwhile for the next textile and fashion and design engineering experts. The ability of the next experts will have directly consequences for the sustainable design and economy, a benefit for the people and planet. If the next experts are trained as mentors for children, the loop will be closed for the best education and economical profit – sustainable – in Europe.
academia – mentoring – PEM –
Programme of European Mentoring – initiated by Marina-Elena Wachs
Mentoring of talents around Europe – PEM:
The mentoring program by Marina-Elena Wachs is dedicated to new talents of Bachelor and Master programs and for alumni of divers study programs – since 2021 by the Programme of European Mentoring
This can be proven by several awarded projects of mentees and and by twice the price: ‘Lehrpreis für Innovation in der Lehre und Betreuung von Studierenden’, 2013 and 2017 for Marina-Elena Wachs. Wachs was nominated for professor of the year 2021 by Unicum.
The progmme means:
‘Motivation to act’ and ‘Self-Management’ these are core elements of the the Programme of European Mentoring (PEM) in the years to come. ‘Designing’ the resource of human capital with the help of cultural education and Knowledge Management…
…more: Book ‘Design Engineering – sustainable and holistic’ by Marina-Elena Wachs, 2022, Avedition:
ISBN 978-3-89986-362-8
View into:
https://issuu.com/avedition_stuttgart/docs/2022_design_engineering_issuu
Action(s) for European Mentoring
See a selection of mentees success and togehter with mentor in exhibitions / events / panel discussions:
2024 … more to come…
2022: ‘DESIGN GOALS – the DeSIGNerinnen statements for textile sustainability’
at tim – Textil Industrie Museum – at Augsburg, Germany
-opening at 6 of May 2022 – maker spaces at 7/8 of May 2022, the finissage at 24th of September 2022.
see the exposé of the designer:
Melissa Grustat: Master-Thesis, 2021
DNAir
Franziska Poddig, Master-Thesis, 2021
The (im)perfection of chance as design potential
Katharina Grobheiser, Master-Thesis, 2021
Elise Esser, Master-Thesis 2020, Organic Shades
German ‘Materialpreis von Raumprobe 2020’, Stuttgart 2022
Theresa Scholl, Thesis: „textile sense of Light”, 2018
Gesa Balbig, 2021 togehter with Wachs, Scholl, Grobheiser: at EEE Conference 2021 in Dresden to the topic: “Textile Engineering of the future”
Research paper together for Europe
The mentoring program by Marina-Elena Wachs is dedicated to new talents of Bachelor and Master programs and for alumni of divers study programs – since 2021 by the Programme of European Mentoring
See a selection of Mentees success and cooperations in the case of communication sustainable research together at European congresses:
2023 EPDE Congress: THEME Engineering and Product Design Education Conference
>Responsible innovation for global co-habitation.<
A common submission with Bachelor Student Charlotte Weber at EPDE congress 2023 at ELISAVA Barcelona, about:
‚CROSS CULTURAL CO-DESIGNING FOR INNOVATIVE SUSTAINABLE (TEXTILE) DESIGN SOLUTIONS – QUESTIONING SDG’S 4 & 17
Togehter we are demonstrating how helpful co-designing could be, to avoid cultural appropriation; it is about our responsibility and question for SDG No4 – Educating people about design ownership and sustainable cultural behaviour…
EPDE Conference 2022 – Londong – Theme DIRT –
– Disrupt, Innovate, Regenerate, Transform –
Together with Giulia D’Aleo, Politecnico di Milano, master student of study program Digital and Interaction Design; – invited for common paper by Marina-Elena Wachs and with Theresa Scholl, 2022.
see more at research gate:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/363166434_A_PAN-EUROPEAN_TRANSFORMATION_TO_BRIDGE_THE_GAP_BETWEEN_TANGIBLE_EXPERIENCE_AND_VIRTUAL_IDEATING_SPACES
next theses are still under evaluation…
lectures and courses, interdisciplinary projects – students awards et al
Lectures – interdisciplinary pojects… as
Professor for Design Theory
in BA and MA- programs, since 03/2010
in German and English
(French is in preparation)
- Design Theory
- Fashion Theory
- Colour Theory
- Designgeschichte
- Designtheorie
- Kunstgeschichte
- Design-management
- Interkulturelles Design
- Textil- und Kostümgeschichte
- Modetheorie
- Designwissenschaften –
Wissenschaftliche Karriere im Design
(Promovieren im Design) - Kulturelle Bildsprachen (in preparation)
- Projektplanung, Präsentation und Karriereplanung (auch in Engl.)
- Interdisziplinäre Gestaltung von
textilen Artefakten in Kunst,
Design und Architektur - Next Material – Expo
Mentoring of students / awards
the list of 2017 until today are following soon:)
Förderpreis der Wilhelm-Lorch-Stiftung
Caroline Högl, 2016: BA im Studiengang Textile- and Clothing
Management „Fashion-Bloggers – Power and Influence of the New Member in the Fashion System From the Point of View of Fashion Management“, Preisgeld 6.000,00 Euro.
Nominierung für Bundes Eco Designpreis
Verena Winkelmann, 2015: IQ- Leather Design.
Deutscher RecyclingPreis
Marta Herfort, 2015, Smart Bionics – For Fashion and Automotive Interior Design,
Lara Leetz, ebenso nominiert für ITMA_Sustainable Award 2015, Mailand.
Auszeichnung der Wilhelm-Lorch Stiftung
Preiskategorie Technik, für Kristina Rem, MA-Arbeit „mobile to
knit“, Juli 2014, Master Design – Textile Produkte.
Promos-Stipendium für USA 2014
Caroline Högl, BA-Studierende des englischen Studiengangs: Textile and
Clothing Management
Promos-Stipendium für F 2014
Laura Kunze BA-Studierende des deutschen Studiengangs Design-Ingenieur.
Nominierung für Nachhaltigkeitspreis der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Kategorie Wissenschaft Hochschule,
2013 mit Projekt Nachhaltiges / Sustainable Textile Design (NTD);
_Diverse studentische Auszeichnungen im Projekt NTD (u.a. I:Collect Award 2013, wool school 2012)
Nominierung für „David-Kopf“ 2012
Masterarbeit Julia Striebel, Entrepreneurship in Fashion Design.
Promos-Stipendium für Indien 2011/12
Master-Studentin Julia Striebel erhält.
“Saga Furs Competition”, DK
will show the results in Paris: “Premier Vision”, 2011: N. Berger + K. Gesch
2. Preis: „textil + mode innovationspreis 2011“, Berlin
für TD „Grow Green“, von Besser und Elze 2011.
Award, „Wirtschaftsvereinigung Bekleidungsindustrie Nordrhein“
K. Rem, BA “Zero Waste Fashion”, 2011.
fulbright studentship for summer school in USA
O. Nowikow,,Textiles and Clothing Management, ‚2011.
In the final of the competition “Pretty Smart Textiles” in DK
„Grow Green“, von Besser und Elze 2011.
lectures and guest lectures
…in different institutions and abroad
since 2008
WS 2019/20 interdisciplinary project with Bachelor-, Master- and PhD -students: “Materializing Immateriality – sketching with textiles”, Royal College of Art (RCA) London – school of design, in cooperation with Prof. Ashley Hall.
WS 10/11 Betreuung von Bachelor-Abschlussarbeiten im Studiengang „Raum + Konzept Design“ und „Mode- und Designmanagement“ an der Akademie Mode und Design Hamburg.
SS 2010 Seminar: “Mantel der Geschichte – Macht und Design, wie sich männliche und weibliche Herrschaftssymbole in das Design schleichen.” FH Hannover Fk. Design und Medien.
SS 2010 Betreuung von Master-Abschlussarbeiten, FH Hannover, Interdisziplinärer Master Design und Medien.
WS 09/10 Seminar: Innovative Materialien und politisches Design. AMD Hamburg.
WS 08/09 Master Fashion and Textile Design, The Swedish School of Textiles University of Borås
WS 09/10 Seminar: Interdisziplinäre Grundlehre: FH Hannover Fb. Design und Medien.
WS 09/10 Design Consulting und Vorträge im Master Design, FH Hannover.
SS 2009 Seminar: Materialtechnologie im Raum-, Konzept- und Produkt-Design, AMD HH.
SS 2009 Seminar: Innovative Nutzung von Materialien II und Bauen im Bestand, AMD HH.
SS 2009 Seminar: Corporate Design + Culture – Corporate Material, AMD Hamburg.
SS 2009 Seminar Frühjahrsakademie: „third skin – technische Textilien und textile Architekturen“ Haut als Metapher für verschiedene Entwurfsebenen in Design, Kunst und Architektur an der Akademie Mode und Design, Hamburg.
WS 2008/09 Seminar reguläres WS: Innovative Nutzung von Materialien I – in Mode und Design, Akademie Mode und Design Hamburg. interdisziplinäre Lehre in den Forschungsbereichen: – Material, – Identität, – Handwerk: mit Schwerpunkt Materialvermittlung innerhalb transdisziplinärer Prozesse.
WS 2008/09 Seminarthema: „Intercultural Understanding with the help of Material Codes in Design“, University College of Borås – The Swedish School of Textiles, Schweden.
WS 2008/09 Seminar in der gymnasialen Sekundarstufe I zur theoretischen und praktischen Materialvermittlung an der Bildungsbasis, Halepaghen Schule Buxtehude, Thema: Stein – Zeit – Wissen und Skulpturenbau.
SS 2008 Seminar Sommerakademie: Honeycombs im Transportation Design und in der Mode, an der Akademie Mode und Design, AMD Hamburg.
Theory
Open Access Research Papers
TEXTILE TRACES in European places – textiles heritage and textiles studies for tomorrow.
Manchester Conference „textile and place“, 4th April 2018, Manchester School of Art. And publication in October 2018, UK
Driver for Sustainable (Industrial) Design Culture – the >Design Shift<“. London Conference:
annual EPDE – Engineering and Product Design Education, 6 September 2018, Dyson School of Design Engineering Imperial College London UK
The Beauty in Design – Aesthetics and Functions
Caused by Combining Analogue with Digital Processing – Case Studies of Fashion Engineering and Automotive Design
Research Article 2017 / Prof. Dr. Marina-Elena Wachs
Hochschule Niederrhein – FB Textil- und Bekleidungstechnik
Go to open access:
Cooperation Projects
Textile Archiskulptur
2018 / Prof. Dr. Marina-Elena Wachs
Hochschule Niederrhein – FB Textil- und Bekleidungstechnik
Das interdisziplinäre Design-Projekt >Textile ArchiSkulptur< (2018/19) ist angedockt an eine Forschungsarbeit von Prof. Dr. Marina-Elena Wachs, macht das Textile Erbe in Nordrhein-Westfalen (NRW) sichtbar und verbindet die textilen Expertisen Europas. Es analysiert zum einen prägnante Textil-Industrieorte im Rahmen der textiles studies, die als textiles Erbe der Technikhistorie gelten und weist zugleich auf die Bedeutung von Repräsentanten der Textilproduktionsstätten hin und auf deren besondere Korrelationen. Das Charakteristische des textilen Erbes wird in den Städten sichtbar mit Hilfe von Architektur, von Industriekultur, von Produkt-Designs des Textilen aber auch in den Lebensläufen engagierter Textil-Förderer und -Driver… for innovative design; all diese Parameter stehen in Beziehung zueinander – auch zukünftig in einer digitalisierten (Produktions-) Welt.
Industry 4.0, that will transform design, operation, service, and manufacture of products. Generating design as “form follows function”, with the requirement, like Dieter Rams said, “less design as possible” shows the timeless reasonable fact of classic style with focussing the end of natural sources. The demand on the beauty in design will never end. But what does “Beauteousness” means in design in the year 2020?
The earlier definition of beauteousness during the renaissance time specified the term “beauteousness” in relationship to proportion, which had been measured with length in combination with the development of creating central perspective in art, to focus a harmonious balance of creative elements.
Architects and theorists like Leon Batista Alberti defined a well proportion in balance, a harmony of elements to generate an ideal icon of beauty. During the 20s century architects like Sullivan and the Bauhaus school taught the beauty in design as forms related to timeless combinations of geometric forms.
The modern times opened the possibility to get new impetus of the beauty in design, when ugly design gets attraction: Umberto Eco asked about the beauty in ugly phenomena with the help of his book “on Ugliness”, which inspired the fashion scene. Now, during the 21.st century we have to consider that different parameters constructing beauty in design: sustainable requirements, bionic parameters and generated fashion are some examples. Beside the artistic and philosophical definition of beauteousness, the industrial process is generating beauty full forms: digital generating with special software allows to define new beauty full forms – new beauty full codes in product design. And beside this, the generated design creates new functions. Today we know, that only the combination of thinking and doing, in analogue with digital processes will fashioning the future in all design disciplines.
Keywords of the project: beauteousness, analogue and digital processing, digital drawing, Industry 4.0, fashion /-engineering, automotive /-design; sustainability: no waste, beauty of functions, aesthetic value, bionic design, generating fashion. Inspirations: Beauteousness of Nature -forms, Sportswear, Fashion and Icons of the 1990s, Photography, Nordic Countries and others
… weitere Informationen auf der Projektseite der Hochschule
Save the date – Messeausstellungen / – expositions:
Heimtextil Frankfurt Germany
10. – 13.01.2017
Avantex Paris France
06.-09.02.2017
Fespa Hamburg Germany
08-12.05.2017
Smart Sustainable Statements – European United!
2019
Design and Management Talents & Prof. Dr. Marina-Elena Wachs
Hochschule Niederrhein – university of applied sciences, faculty of textile and clothing technology
In 2019 the interdisciplinary project „Smart Sustainable solutions – European United”, will focus on interactive and intercultural working conditions in design and management solutions, showing a great summery of BA- and MA-student projects and research works of talents and alumnis, in the following topics:
- SMART FASHION
- design is music is design – European united
- Kids Visions
- next material – textiles matters
- design / engineering / managment solutions
- …
THE CHALLENGE for the students and alumnis ….
We want to meet you and the desires of the digital post era but in a …
NRW Kunstforum Düsseldorf, Epson GmbH Deutschland and others… will follow
NRW Kunstforum Düsseldorf
NRW Kunstforum Ehrenhof, Düsseldorf May 2019
workshop by ME Wachs at RCA London
RCA London – togehter with Prof. Ashley Hall, London 2019
The beauty in design – Aesthetics and Functions
2017 / Prof. Dr. Marina-Elena Wachs
Hochschule Niederrhein – FB Textil- und Bekleidungstechnik
Design attraction and design codes stands in relationship to function and strategy concepts in business cases of fashion as well as in automotive design. At the same time we are living in a design dominated world, which gets new inspirations by changing production processes from the fourth industrial revolution.
Industry 4.0, that will transform design, operation, service, and manufacture of products. Generating design as “form follows function”, with the requirement, like Dieter Rams said, “less design as possible” shows the timeless reasonable fact of classic style with focussing the end of natural sources. The demand on the beauty in design will never end. But what does “Beauteousness” means in design in the year 2020?
The earlier definition of beauteousness during the renaissance time specified the term “beauteousness” in relationship to proportion, which had been measured with length in combination with the development of creating central perspective in art, to focus a harmonious balance of creative elements.
Architects and theorists like Leon Batista Alberti defined a well proportion in balance, a harmony of elements to generate an ideal icon of beauty. During the 20s century architects like Sullivan and the Bauhaus school taught the beauty in design as forms related to timeless combinations of geometric forms.
The modern times opened the possibility to get new impetus of the beauty in design, when ugly design gets attraction: Umberto Eco asked about the beauty in ugly phenomena with the help of his book “on Ugliness”, which inspired the fashion scene. Now, during the 21.st century we have to consider that different parameters constructing beauty in design: sustainable requirements, bionic parameters and generated fashion are some examples. Beside the artistic and philosophical definition of beauteousness, the industrial process is generating beauty full forms: digital generating with special software allows to define new beauty full forms – new beauty full codes in product design. And beside this, the generated design creates new functions. Today we know, that only the combination of thinking and doing, in analogue with digital processes will fashioning the future in all design disciplines.
Keywords of the project: beauteousness, analogue and digital processing, digital drawing, Industry 4.0, fashion /-engineering, automotive /-design; sustainability: no waste, beauty of functions, aesthetic value, bionic design, generating fashion. Inspirations: Beauteousness of Nature -forms, Sportswear, Fashion and Icons of the 1990s, Photography, Nordic Countries and others
… weitere Informationen auf der Projektseite der Hochschule
Save the date – Messeausstellungen / – expositions:
Heimtextil Frankfurt Germany
10. – 13.01.2017
Avantex Paris France
06.-09.02.2017
Fespa Hamburg Germany
08-12.05.2017
Change –
the next blue
20xx / Prof. Dr. Marina-Elena Wachs
Hochschule Niederrhein – FB Textil- und Bekleidungstechnik
„BLUE ist das neue GREEN der Nachhaltigkeitsdebatte im Design“ (Wachs).
Diese These war der Auftakt zum neuen interdisziplinären Thema, das am Fachbereich Textil- und Bekleidungstechnik innerhalb von Forschungsarbeiten, Abschlussarbeiten und Semesterarbeiten ins Visier genommen wird.
Watch the project films
Change – The Next Blue (Teil 1)
Change – The Next Blue (Teil 2)
Brochure as PDF
Smart Textile – smart mobile – Fashion Statements – The German Look at Design
2015
Prof. Ellen Bendt & Prof. Dr. Marina-Elena Wachs
Hochschule Niederrhein – university of applied sciences, faculty of textile and clothing technology
The interdisciplinary project „The German Look – advanced TEXTILE solutions”, which will had been presented in 2015, showed a collection of several BA- and MA-student projects and research works of Master students, in the following topics:
- Smart Textile and Mobility in Fashion: SMART FASHION („creative processing”)
- Luxury and sustainability: „White World”
- Design concepts…for a better world
- Textile Porcelain
- Smart mobility to go
- Kids World – (textile) patterns connecting generations (and special groups in design)
THE CHALLENGE for the students exists in defining the typical character of each cultural design codes, in combination with discussing the terms „Luxury” and „Mobility”, „Sustainability” and „Smart Textile” for example in Fashion AND automotive interior design for advanced design solutions for tomorrow. Forecasting trends in smart textiles, like the actual discussed terms about „Biocouture” and „Green Smarts”, are only two small aspects about research projects in a new material world… „Upside downing” in up-cycling design and redesign of handcraft techniques demonstrating the range of parameters in the case of sustainability…
With the look at the German style and for example in comparing with Scottish- or Italian fashion design codes or with the craftsman’s knowledge, we are demonstrating „The German Look” in connecting cultural heritage of fashion design and handcraft power with 3-D techniques…
Mutching Fund: mit Sparkassen Stiftung, Privatwirtschaft und Ministerien NRWs, (Fördervolumen 24.000,- Euro + geldwerter Vorteil 80.000 Euro der Kooperationspartner) Fördergelder für: Workshops, Vorträge, Internationale Präsentationen in Form von Ausstellungen in Deutschland, Italien und Publikationen und Film, + digitale Medien-Förderung.
Fashion Week Berlin
Bikini Haus Berlin January 2015
TechTextil fair at Frankfurt
4.-7. May 2015
Mg zieht an
Mönchengladbach 28.-29. May 2015
ITMA
Milano 12-19 November 2015
Nachhaltiges Textiles Design – Sustainable Textile Design
2012/13
Prof. Ellen Bendt & Prof. Dr. Marina-Elena Wachs
Hochschule Niederrhein – FB Textil- und Bekleidungstechnik
„The „Sustainable Textile Design“ research project covers a variety of perspectives of the classic three-pillar structure of the term „sustainability“. While case studies from […] special design fields also document a transdisciplinary working method, we do justice to at least some of the demands of the individual, society and politics in their abstract dimensions […“ (Marina-Elena Wachs, 2011)
Science and its institutions – such as the universities – are judged by their ability to make contributions to or provide solutions for socially relevant challenges and also to generate concrete, monetary proits in the form of educational returns from generations.1 In the discipline of design we are often faced with the problem that from the viewpoint of business management and political economics, design research support is a question of „economically exploitable research“2 and is therefore not immediately recognisable in socially relevant or creatively valuable product solutions. This is comparable with a social secondary beneit based on indings from the humanities – the so-called soft sciences – and that is not immediately quantiiable in monetary terms, which is in turn the reason for the cutbacks in signiicant courses of study in the arts, humanities and cultural science since the end of the nineties in Germany.
Förderzeitraum: 07/2012 – 06/2013, gefördert durch Privatwirtschaft und Ministerien aus NRW und beim Bund. Fördervolumen 40.000,- Euro.
knitted wool couture –
Wool at school
2012
Prof. Ellen Bendt & Prof. Dr. Marina-Elena Wachs
Hochschule Niederrhein – FB Textil- und Bekleidungstechnik
Cooperation with Woolmark international Ltd. and Marc Cain
„The Campaign for Wool is a global endeavour initiated by its patron, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, to raise awareness amongst consumers about the unique natural benefits offered by wool; and to call attention to the ecological advantages that wool delivers.“
During the Wool School project 2013 of the Campaign for Wool, eleven students of the master program textile products – design, of the Faculty Textile- and Clothing Technology, Hochschule Niederrhein – University of Applied Sciences, designed under the leadership of Prof. Ellen Bendt – Professorship for fashion design with focus on knitted and innovative product design – and Prof. Dr., Dipl. Des. Marina-Elena Wachs – Professorship for Design Theory – wonderfull Outfits in whit wool with the scope to sustainable material solutions.
In the faszinating cooperation with Woolmark Company and Marc Cain GmbH at Bodelshausen, fantastic outfits had been produced with a great team! Six wonderful white outfits with the names like „crazy sexy wool“ had been shown during the international wool week at the Marc Cain Stores in Düsseldorf and at the German Fashion Week at Berlin at the catwalk …
Thank your fort his wonderful time and work together, as playing with sustainable design possibilities with a great material: Wool just healthy and beautyful like it is in a new innovative form.
The Goals of this kind of cooperation – like with great partners Marc Cain GmbH Germany and Woolmark International – “knitted wool couture” are:
These projects pursue the goals….
… to generate sustainable long-lasting fashion also by way of experiments.
…to allow students access to sustainable future design solutions during their practice projects as early as possible.
…to strengthen sustainable knitwear in the awareness of consumers, also in the interest of the German textile fashion market and German textile manufactures.
…in this context, to cooperate with partners form industry and the international fashion market on the highest possible level as shown in the cooperation with Woolmark International, and particularly in the realization with Marc Cain GmbH, also for the partners in a profitable and creativity precious way.
See more in “textiles codes # 2 – Knitted Wool Couture”, ISBN 978-3-9815469-1-0
Presentation:
11/2012 Wool Week in Europe
12/2012 Stuttgart
01/2013 Berlin Fashion Week
Förderzeitraum: 04/2012 – 11/2012,
Fördervolumen: 33.000,- Euro
Promovieren im Design –
ein Kinderspiel?
2010-2011
Prof. D. Weinlich & Prof. Dr. Marina-Elena Wachs
Hochschule Hannover – Fakultät III Medien, Information, Design
… und Design ist doch eine Wissenschaft!
Auf dem Wege zu einer akzeptierten Designwissenschaft, die bezugswissenschaftliche Fachbereiche nutzt, um auf wissenschaftlicher Ebene vergleichbar zu anderen Disziplinen im Diskurs anschließen zu können, ist dieses Buch ein weiterer Meilenstein: die strukturierte Promotion im Fach Design.
