World Expo Osaka 2025
Together with the Creative Industries Fund NL, which is committed to strengthening the Dutch design sector’s international presence, this programme supports a research trip to Japan for five designers specialising in sustainable fashion and textiles. The Fashion and Textile research trip is curated by Lisa Konno.
Japan has increasingly emphasised sustainability in the fashion industry by combining traditional crafts with modern technologies to promote environmentally friendly practices. This trip offers opportunities for exchange, conversations with studios and peers and the chance to build a network within Japan’s creative sector.
Lisa Konno, a Netherlands-based artist and designer with experience working in Japan, will develop and curate the research trip. She is a multidisciplinary creator working at the intersection of fashion, textiles, ceramics, performance and documentary filmmaking. Her work is often shaped by cultural identity, sustainability and activism.
An invitation to apply was sent to designers working with textiles who had previously received a Talent Development Grant from the Creative Industries Fund NL. From 18 applicants, five were selected based on their portfolios and the motivation of their application: Anouk Beckers, Chenda Fekkes, Denzel Veerkamp, Michèle Boulogne and Yamuna Forzani.