Online event, hosted on Zoom by Christine Leitner & Andreas Selzer, Textiles Zentrum Halsach, Austria

Christina Leitner

Christina studied textile education, philosophy & psychology in Salzburg, textile art & design in Linz and museology in Graz. In her artistic work she specialised on woven paper textiles. She was involved in building up the Textile Centre Haslach, which she has headed as scientific director since 2012. She also teaches at the University Mozarteum Salzburg and at Kunstuniversität Linz. Since 2019 she is chairwoman of the European Textile Network ETN.

Andreas Selzer

Andreas graduated at the Textile School Spengergasse in Vienna and worked for many years as sales and production manager for several European textile companies. He was involved in building up the Textile Centre Haslach, which he now leads as director of economics and production. Since 2015 he is secretary of the European Textile Network ETN.

Brief outline of programme:
Spinning on the thread of tradition:
A virtual tour through the Textile Centre Haslach

The Textile Centre Haslach has been founded in 2012 and is located in a former textile mill from the late 19th century. The Textile Centre Haslach hosts five partners under its roof, all of whom want to keep the rich textile tradition, which is so typical for the region of the so called ‘Mühlviertel’ in the North of Austria, alive. As all partners have a slightly different focus on textiles, many and varied synergies arise between the poles of museum, production, training, hand craft and art.
One of the five partners is the museum of weaving which shows the steps of flax processing from stem preparation to the finished linen cloth as well as the development of handlooms through to modern Jacquard power looms. Textile materials and techniques can be experienced with all senses. The historic looms of the museum are used not only for demonstration purposes during the guided tours but also for regular production.
In addition to the museum, there is also a small scale modern production facility. Other partners of the Textile Centre Haslach offer cooperation with universities, various courses and special exhibitions on contemporary textile art. Several art events in public space bring the region's long textile tradition to life.
Since 2020 the Textile Centre Haslach also hosts the European Textile Network ETN. This association is bringing together cultural producers, carriers of cultural heritage and education, lecturers, researchers and textile enthusiasts in order to promote the exchange of information and experiences, to encourage the cooperation in projects and to arrange meetings.
As part of the virtual tour, the various facets of the Textile Centre Haslach and the European Textile Network ETN are presented with photos and videos.

Andreea Tanasescu of La Blouse Roumaine IA Association
Andreea is the creator of the Romanian Blouse Day (June 24th), Cultural Fashion Day (22nd June) and is the President of La Blouse Roumaine IA Association, a non-governmental organisation that promotes the preservation of the Romanian textile heritage, cultural and sustainable fashion. She has contributed decisively to the rebirth and renewed interest in traditional Romanian culture on a global scale.

The Romanian blouse is a universal cultural icon, tracing its origins back to the ancient civilisations found along the Danube river. A global social and cultural movement was born when Andreea asked Romanians around the world to post a photo or a selfie of them wearing their blouses on social media as a way to reach and educate the wider public. In just six years the movement has grown exponentially to some 200,000 members, celebrated annually on six continents, over 60 countries and some 300 cities.

Outline of talk:
Romanian Blouse

Andreea will talk about her idea to revive the traditional Romanian blouse through a series of international campaigns, bringing this craft to the forefront of fashion. What did the movement share about the history of the Romanian blouse and its craft?

Alison Toplis
Alison Toplis worked for several years as a dress and textiles specialist at Christie’s Auctioneers before completing her doctorate in the area of nineteenth-century working-class dress. She has since lectured and published widely, including her book The Clothing Trade in Provincial England 1800-1850 (2011). Her second book, The Hidden History of the Smock Frock, was published by Bloomsbury in May 2021. Alison is currently an honorary research fellow at the University of Wolverhampton.

Outline of talk:
The English Smock

The talk will outline a brief history of the English smock. After discussing its origins in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries it will focus on the nineteenth century, examining how smocks were made, the various types of smocks that could be acquired and how men looked after them. It will conclude by considering how their use in the early twentieth century has affected how we regard them today.

Rita Chisti

Wafa Ghnaim
Wafa Ghnaim is an American-born Palestinian artist, researcher, writer, educator, and businesswoman who began learning Palestinian embroidery from her mother, the award-winning artist Feryal Abbasi-Ghnaim, when she was two years old. This legacy has deeply influenced her current work, which includes teaching at universities around the world, becoming the first-ever Palestinian embroidery instructor at the Smithsonian Museum, and, in 2021, becoming an artist-in-residence at the Museum of the Palestinian People in Washington, D.C.

In addition to her extensive scholarship, Wafa continues her mother’s educational legacy through Tatreez & Tea, a social media sensation and global artistic initiative that she established in 2016, with the purpose of offering classes to students around the world and promoting the practice of Palestinian embroidery by anyone, anywhere, anytime. Wafa's mission is to preserve Palestinian embroidery and storytelling traditions and to honour the legacy of Palestinian women who, for hundreds of years, produced rich textiles that have become a symbol of solidarity, identity and sisterhood for Palestinians all over the world.

Outline of talk:
Palestinian Embroidery

Through her art, research, activism, and pedagogy, Wafa has brought together a global collective of embroiderers, allies, scholars, designers, and artists who are committed to preserving tatreez in the Palestinian diaspora. Through this talk, Wafa will speak about the language of Palestinian embroidery; what makes it unique and distinct form other forms of embroidery and the influence this craft has had on her identity and Palestinian heritage.