#FABRICAMP 2025 BRUSSELS | Belgium
A Fabricademy training week hosted at Green Fabric and CityFab1, concluded with the exhibition at MakerFaire Brussels!
The 2025 Textile Academy Bootcamp took place in Brussels, bringing together 30 participants, from students to professionals and educators from over 15 countries, including New Zealand, Mexico, Iceland, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Greece, The Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Scotland, Ireland, the United States and, of course, Belgium.
Bootcamp Highlights 2025
DAY 01 - Mycelium, Bio-Materials and Bacterial Dyeing Workshop
Day one of the program centered on sustainability and biofabrication, featuring lectures and three hands-on workshops. Participants were introduced to material driven design, including bacterial dyeing techniques, the crafting of biodegradable biomaterials, and the growth of mycelium composites.
Mycelium Workshop
One of the highlights of the day: a special session in collaboration with Annah-Ololade Sangosanya our alumna and PHD candidate at Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
Bacterial Dyeing Workshop
In this hands-on workshop led by Cecilia Raspanti, on bacterial dyeing, participants learned how to cultivate pigment-producing bacteria directly onto fabric and grow living colors.
Biofabricating Materials Workshop
The Biomaterial Fabrication workshop, led by Anastasia Pistofidou, explored material driven design through a variety of recipes, natural biopolymers such as alginate yarns made from seaweed, algae and gelatin based leathers and composites, looking into eco-friendly solutions for fashion, textiles, and product design.
Several DIY personalized materials were crafted during the sessions, hard and flexible bioplastics, alginate and alginate bio-threads, using various pigments, colors and local additives.
DAY 02 - Exploring Circularity, OS Circular Fashion & Permafungi Visit
Open Source Circular Fashion Workshop
A full day dedicated to exploring circular fashion and design systems. In this workshop led by Claudia Simonelli participants learned how to design adaptable garments using 3D modeling software and digital fabrication through laser cutting. They explored modular design strategies and open-source collaboration to create customizable clothing that evolves, reconfigures, and supports waste reduction and circularity in fashion.
The session on modular fashion took place at CityFab1, in collaboration with FabLabs Brussels. Participants experimented with vectorial design options and patterns, while learning how to design modular soft connections for reconfigurable patterns.
Factory visits - Permafungi
At Permafungi, in the heart of Brussels, a guided tour offered a living example of local food production. Participants gained insights into how coffee waste from local cafés is transformed into mushrooms and compost, demostrating how waste can be reimagined as a resource.
Founded in 2014, Permafungi recycles coffee grounds into mushrooms and fertilizer, advancing sustainable urban farming and circular economy.
DAY 03 - Digital Knitting/Embroidery/Felting Workshop & Focus Groups
Digital Knitting Workshop
This hands-on workshop led by Stephanie Vilayphiou from Green Fabric, explored the potential of knitting with code. Using the Kniterate machine and custom software, participants turned their digital sketches into soft, looped swatches, playing with patterns, colors and storytelling.
Digital Embroidery Workshop
This session, led by Valentine Fruchart from Green Fabric, introduced participants to digital embroidery using a 2D vector software. Through vectorial design, lines, shapes and custom fonts, they created personalized embroidered designs.
Recycling, Felting Workshop
In this hands-on workshop, participants experimented with open source machines and shredders to mechanically recycle textile waste. They learned how to process discarded fabrics into reusable fiber blends, exploring circular design through material transformation, felting, and other sustainable remanufacturing techniques.
DAY 04 - Tour in Ghent & E-textiles & Wearables Workshop
On the 4th day of the Bootcamp, participants met early in the morning heading to Ghent, for an exclusive tour of the Centexbel Research Center.
There, we had the unique opportunity to hear and learn from the researchers about their work on fibers, textiles and coatings as well as the chance to explore the center and machinery in action.
Centexbel Research Center in Ghent is a leading Belgian research center supporting the textile and plastics industries with innovative, sustainable technologies. Founded in 1950 by Fedustria, it helps companies enhance performance and integrate advanced solutions.
E-textiles & Wearables Workshop
In the afternoon, Participants explored e-textiles and wearable technology in a session led by guest lecturer Rebekka Jochem. They experimented with soft circuits, using conductive fabrics, DIY electronics, and thermochromic inks to create a customizable smart textile pouch.
DAY 05 - Focus Group, Project Development
Participants applied the week’s learning through group projects within their focus areas.
One group explored mycelium research, experimenting with natural dyeing techniques for mycelium-based leather. Another group focused on augmented traditional embroidery, blending heritage craft with electronic textiles and soft sensors. The final group investigated textile recycling and biocomposite leathers, using shredded yarns, alginates, and natural dyes to create two fully compostable bioplastic corsets.
Projects Presentation @CityFab1
Participants officially presented the projects developed in the focus groups and celebrated the closure of the Bootcamp with an aperitivo at CityFab1.
Day 06 | @MakerFaire Brussels 2025
Soft Robotics Demo
At the Maker Faire, Anastasia Pistofidou ran demos on soft robotics and inflatables, inviting the visitors to explore biomimicry through hands-on prototyping of flexible vinyl structures.
Fabricademy @MakerFaire Brussels 2025
At the Faire, we had the honor to host the exhibition showcasing groundbreaking projects developed by Fabricademy international participants and labs from around the world as well as the Boocamp Participants at Green Fabric.
Among them, interactive wearables, electronics kits, biobased material libraries, biodegradable dresses and sculptures grown with mycelium and experimental garments made through 3D printing and fabric manipulation.
Shoe with an expiry date - Laura Muth
Archive of the Future - TextileLab Amsterdam
Flowd - Dewi Brunet
Fungal Skins Macro - Annah-Ololade Sangosanya
A fungal Affair- Isabel Fredeus
Fungal Functions - Anouk Verstuift
ReLine-DineshKumar & Laura Muth
Mountain Magistrate - Zahia Albakr-
When I met Myself-Rawan Aziziyeh
Bllura Musa - Batoul Al-Rashdan
LUM - Dima Hejap
Archive of Emotions - Ola Muhanna
IKTISHAF - Naim Al-Haj Ali
IevaMarija Dautartaite - EA Sensationmap
When I met Myself- Rawan Aziziyeh
Kombucha Research - Suhaib Kamal
BioCorset-Fabricamp 2025 Brussels
The Silence protocols - Wendy Van Wynsberghe
Fabricademy Bootcamp 2025 Brussels was possible through the support of Green Fabric and our valuable sponsors.
With the local participation of MakerFaire Brussels and Cityfab1.
Photo Credits:
Claudia | Fabricademy
Marica De Michele
Curious to explore the Future of Textiles, Technology and Bio-Design?. Apply to Fabricademy this September at a lab close to you, anywhere in the world!
