Dezeen promotion: New York Textile Month is back for a second edition, with talks, exhibitions and retail opportunities "celebrating the revival of textiles" available to the public throughout September 2017.
Following the first edition last September, which comprised 77 events across the city, New York Textile Month 2 is set to involve even more museums, galleries, showrooms, retailers and design studios.
Dezeen is media partner for the festival, organised by Li Edelkoort – a trend forecaster and dean of hybrid design at The New School: Parsons School of Design – who started the initiative to bring attention to fabric innovation.
"The wild and vibrant New York Textile Month 2 is an eventful agenda organised around the culture of cloth," she said. "The mood is up and creativity is on the loose, celebrating the revival of textiles."
This year, some of the city's most popular museums – The Met, MoMA, Cooper Hewitt, New Museum and many more – will mount textile-related exhibitions to coincide with the festival.
Talks about smart garments, sustainable production and technical weaving will provide topics for discussion.
Designers and brands including Lori Weitzner, Print All Over Me and Knoll will host open studios, allowing the public behind-the-scenes glimpses of their work and production processes.
A pop-up at ABC Carpet & Home will give artisans from around the world the opportunity to present their products, while the Young Talent! exhibition will present the work of graduates from six schools in Europe and the US.
Capitalising on the city's reputation as a hub for textile innovation, Parsons is due to introduce a two-year MFA Textiles programme in 2018.
"New York is the breeding ground of global talent," Edelkoort said. "Its different art institutions and design universities are brimming with innovation and exceptional projects in expressive textile design, exploring ever-changing ways to bring fabrics to the fore, and collectively defending textiles as an intrinsic part of life and style."
For more information and a full list of planned events, visit the New York Textile Month website.