The Transformative Designs of Studio Nicky Vollebregt
SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS
Textile designer and researcher Nicky Vollebregt aims to transform how we think about the materials and the objects we rely on every day. Within her design process, textile craft and industrial textile techniques collide, resulting in intricate materials that speculate on unconventional and innovative applications.
Rotterdam-based Studio Nicky Vollebregt questions object attachment and investigates emotionally sustainable design, or what Nicky refers to as ‘design to cherish’. Her aim is to not merely to create visually appealing designs but to foster new dialogues.
“Sustainable design extends beyond circular, responsible, and ethical material use and production. It also encompasses the way we engage with, relate to, and find meaning in objects, encouraging a desire to own, care for, and treasure them.” explains Nicky. She wants to evoke emotional connections, and show how sustainability can be integrated into every aspect of the design process.
“Sustainable design extends beyond circular, responsible, and ethical material use and production. It also encompasses the way we engage with, relate to, and find meaning in objects, encouraging a desire to own, care for, and treasure them.”
credit: Patty van den Elshout i.o.v. TextielMuseum
credit: Patty van den Elshout i.o.v. TextielMuseum
Weaving stories and interaction Nicky presents experimental projects like Pollia, HIGHLIGHT, and Uncover, each inviting us to rethink our everyday interactions with the things we use.
Pollia: Seeking Uniqueness in Reproducibility
Pollia merges manual craftsmanship with machine precision to create woven textiles that are identical in design yet uniquely distinct. Inspired by manual smocking, the mechanically woven Pollia textiles transform from flat fabrics into luminous, sculptural 3D forms through their precise structural design. The project invites us to think about mass-production versus craft and highlights themes like individuality and personalisation.
HIGHLIGHT: Exploring Interaction
HIGHLIGHT is a celebration of experiment, craft and a curiosity-driven exploration of weaving. Nicky combines colours and light with materials in ways that feel almost magical, creating pieces that shift and adapt as they interact with their surroundings. Whether it’s the HIGHLIGHT Olegi or any of other works, HIGHLIGHT reflects Nicky’s fascination with the interplay of light, colour, and perspective.
credit: Studio Nicky Vollebregt
credit: Studio Nicky Vollebregt
credit: Studio Nicky Vollebregt
credit: Studio Nicky Vollebregt
Uncover: Embracing Change and Imperfection
In Uncover, Nicky explores the lifecycle of materials and objects, encouraging us to see beauty in change. By focusing on transformation – how products evolve over time – she challenges the traditional notion of static perfection. Uncover inspires us to care for our possessions, fostering a sense of attachment and responsibility that aligns with the principles of emotional sustainability.
Collaboration as a Catalyst for Innovation
Nicky works on self-initiated research projects and collaborates with researchers and specialists across industries to apply her materials and/or approach. Nicky’s approach is refreshingly holistic and delves into untapped areas where industrial textile techniques, craft and narrative blend into truly distinctive and meaningful designs.
credit: Studio Nicky Vollebregt
credit: Studio Nicky Vollebregt
credit: Studio Nicky Vollebregt
THIS MIGHT BE ALSO INTERESTING FOR YOU:
MUNICH FABRIC START – September 25 closing report
At its 56th edition, MUNICH FABRIC START reinforced its clear positioning. Over two days, the Munich textile trade show brought the fashion industry together with its four show-in-show formats.
Materials as Agents of Change with Simon Angel
Each season, the Sustainable Innovations forum brings together projects that provoke, inspire, and challenge assumptions. This year is no exception, with work ranging from bio-luxury couture to energy-generating textiles and regenerative materials grown from wetlands.
AUTUMN.WINTER 26/27 FABRIC HIGHLIGHTS & MATERIAL NOVELTIES – PART X
For the first time in Germany, S2G XR (Style 2 Garment eXtended Reality) will present a live demo of its 3D textile configurator at booth A4.20 Not a teaser.
Living Matter: Bio-Luxury for Future Materials
Indigo, a colour with a lot of history, is the main focus of this project. Denim has always meant strength and durability, and its roughness is linked to work and usefulness.
BLUEZONE NEWS FOR SEPTEMBER 2025 – PART VI
At DNM Denim, the journey continues. Inspired by nature’s cycles and guided by Flow Theory, the company moves from Challenge to Focus, and now to Freedom—the phase where potential becomes power.
BIOTEXFUTURE: How to Make Textiles from Fossils
The program is a group of businesses and universities working together to find scalable, bio-based alternatives.
Additionals Trends Autumn.Winter 26/27 – Part 8
This collection embodies softness, simplicity, and flow – from soft-touch labels and stretchable materials that move with the body, to a calming palette of pastel tones and organic, natural fibers.
Wetlands Matters – by Marc Wijkmans
Wijkman’s idea came from a simple but important observation: animals carry seeds across ecosystems in their fur.
AUTUMN.WINTER 26/27 FABRIC HIGHLIGHTS & MATERIAL NOVELTIES – PART IX
The designs embrace various trend themes – sometimes subtle, sometimes expressive – and lend each fabric its own distinctive character.
MUNICH FABRIC START September 2025 – Outlook
The countdown is on: in just three weeks, Munich will once againbecome the epicentre of the European fashion and textile industry. During the first week ofSeptember, MUNICH FABRIC START Exhibitions GmbH will unite all key fashion segments underone roof, reaffirming its position as one of Europe’s leading textile trade shows.