Architonic in conversation with Patricia Urquiola and Alcova Milano at Heimtextil 2025

As I write this short text, I’m reminded of the fact that the word ‘text’ stems from the Latin ‘texere’, meaning ‘to weave’. When discussing textiles, the subject matter is baked into the discourse that animates it (if you'll excuse the mixed metaphors).

There’ll be discussion aplenty at the 2025 edition of Heimtextil, which sees an upping of the international textiles fair’s cultural credentials. Joining me in conversation in Frankfurt will be two of the most prominent thought leaders and shapers in the industry, borne out through their groundbreaking design curation and design practice, respectively.

First of all, I’ll have the pleasure of welcoming Alcova Milano to the stage, the influential Milan Design Week platform for designers, companies, institutions and researchers investigating the future of living and making. Who better then to curate Heimtextil’s Trends 25/26 than Alcova founders Valentina Ciuffi and Joseph Grima? Under the banner of ‘Future Continuous’, I’ll be inviting them to reveal their methodology, research and discoveries, providing our live audience with weaving of the visionary kind. (Why not download the Heimtextil Trends 25/26 Booklet with the accompanying collection of short essays now to whet your appetite?)

My second guest is one of the most prolific architects and designers of our time – Patricia Urquiola – who has been commissioned to design the highlight of Heimtextil’s Hall 12.0. Here, visitors will encounter an installation entitled ‘among-us’, the latest output in Urquiola’s extensive and ongoing research into textiles, exploring their applications across various scales, from product design to interiors and architecture. Expect a dynamic exchange, with rich insights from a design practitioner whose genuinely innovative work speaks of a desire to advance the possibilities of materiality and sustainability.

See you there!

© Architonic

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