Detroit Fiber Festival

Textiles are a testament to the work of weaving together individual strands to create something beautiful that stands the test of time. The Detroit Fiber Festival will bring together fabric and fiber artists, makers, and vendors from across Metro Detroit to create a tapestry of resources in the community for the sustainable sourcing of textiles and related materials.

The event will feature breakout lectures and demonstrations focused on sustainable textile repair and mending, dyeing, buttons and fasteners, the art of preservation, and use of period fabrics and textiles in costuming. Our keynote address, “Detroit’s Own Ruth Adler Schnee” will be given by Deborah Kawsky (Chapter President, Michigan Chapter of Docomomo US). Her talk will highlight the life and legacy of Ruth Adler Schnee and how she used Detroit as a backdrop and muse for her fabric and textile design. We will also offer a vendor market with high-end textiles and materials available from local makers and small businesses.

The primary goal of this event is to inspire curiosity around the origins of textiles and how fabrics are turned into clothes and home furnishings, while encouraging consumers to consider the environmental and human impact of fashion. We want to connect visitors to local small businesses and makers to elevate the conversation around the importance of shopping locally, sustainably, and intentionally for things we use every day.

Detroit has a robust legacy of fostering art and design, and this event will highlight our homegrown talent and ingenuity in the fabric and textiles industries. In partnership with the Fisher Building, this event will build community, support small businesses, promote sustainability and craftsmanship in an age of fast fashion, and nurture the discovery of beauty in the objects we use every day.

Host or Publisher The Peacock Room