Sourcing Local Raw Materials

Laura Sansone is a textile designer, activist, and consultant. She is the creator of Textile Lab, a design and consulting company that supports environmentally responsible textile methods, and regional systems of production. Laura is currently an Assistant Professor of Textiles at Parsons The New School For Design. She has developed initiatives that bring NY designers and farmers together to create products that have social and environmental value. Textile Lab’s NYS Regional Textile Initiative is a collection of locally sourced and produced yarns and textiles. It links apparel, product and interior designers to the regional network of farms and fibre processing mills; including spinning, weaving and knitting. This initiative is recognised internationally as a significant economic revitalisation effort on the East Coast of the US. Also, she has designed woven textiles for the following companies: Maharam, New York, NY, American Silk Mills, New York, NY and Burlington House Fabrics, New York, NY.

In this video, we discuss the launch of the New York State Regional Yarn SourceBook which, as the name suggests, promotes yarns and fibres from New York State farms. It’s both a reference book for design professionals to source materials and a means to connect farmers, mills and designers in a single resource.