Mönchengladbach/Florenz, June 29th 2018.

"Hybridization" was the topic that two students from the "Textile Products - Design" Master study course at Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences had qualified for at the international knitwear competition "Feel the Yarn 2018" at the "Pitti Filati" trade fair in Florence. Every year, the best design universities in the world meet in the Tuscan metropolis to discover the most creative and innovative ideas that all revolve around the textile world of knitting.
A total of 26 students from fourteen different international design colleges from nine countries participated. The project - advertised and funded by the CPF-Consorzio Promozione Filtai - will provide students with a full week's stay in Florence and Prato with a comprehensive program of interdisciplinary workshops, training and company visits.
Master students Katerina Amprazi and Büke Cayci represented the Department of Textile and Clothing Technology at Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, which was already allowed to attend for the 7th time. Her job was to develop a men's and a women's knitwear outfit each. The high-quality Italian knitting yarn specialists "Manifattura Igea s.p.a." and "Lanificio dell 'Olivo s.p.a." provided the yarns for this purpose.

Katerina Amprazi developed a creative sustainability statement on the subject of "Save the Ocean" with delicate net structures and stylized elements from the world of coral reefs combined with decorative civilization traces made of plastic.

Büke Cayci uses the extensive technical possibilities of the university to combine imaginative knitting technology with exciting printing techniques and to present the fusion of nature and technology with the title "Nature breaks through" with three-dimensional effects. With great success, the results were well received by the international audience and the jury and they succeeded in winning one of the three prizes awarded, a three-month internship in Italy's textile stronghold Prato at Trafi Creativatà Tessile srl. After 2015, this is the second time that one of the students from Mönchengladbach has been able to prevail over top-class international competition.

In addition to the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences this year, Bunka Fashion College Tokyo, the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, Design Skolen Kolding in Denmark, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences, Politecnico Di Milano, Shenkar College in Israel, Polimoda in Florence, Hanyang took part Women's University South Korea, the University of Trier, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Ecole de la Maille Paris, Kingston University and the Royal College of Art from London.

Photo of the award ceremony: Representatives of the company Lanificio dell'Olivo, Fabio Giusti of the company Trafi Creativtà Tessile srl, winner Büke Cayci and competition organizer Ornella Bignami (from l.n.r.)

Supervisor of the project at the Department of Textile and Clothing Technology:
Frank Heimlich and Prof. Dipl.-Des. Ellen Bendt