معرفی
Professor Maarit Salolainen is a distinguished textile expert and educator at Aalto University, where she serves as Associate Professor of Textile Design and Head of the MA Major in Fashion, Clothing and Textile Design at the School of Arts, Design and Architecture. With extensive international experience across the textile industry, including leadership roles at Vanelli Textile in Turkey and various positions in Austria, Finland, India and Turkey, she bridges academic research with practical application in textile design and sustainability.
Her research and teaching focus on textile thinking – a holistic approach that combines technical knowledge with creative expression. She has developed innovative studio pedagogy that exposes students to hands-on experimentation with textile materials and processes. Salolainen's work emphasizes the critical role of textiles in sustainability and circular economy, advocating for systemic changes in textile production and consumption practices.
Salolainen's publication Interwoven – Exploring Materials and Structures (AaltoARTS Books 2022) represents a comprehensive textbook on textile design pedagogy and practice. The book received the International Creative Media Awards gold medal in the Educational textbook category and will be published internationally by Thames & Hudson in 2024. Her research through design focuses on developing sustainable textile practices across the entire value chain.
Scientific Awards:
- International Creative Media Award Gold Medal (2022) for 'Interwoven: Exploring Materials and Structures'
- Dean's Award for Community Building Outside Own Field (2017)
- Designers of the Year 2014: Textile Designer of the Year (2014)
Her academic work emphasizes multidisciplinary collaboration, particularly between design, engineering and textile technology fields, aiming to solve sustainability challenges through innovative material approaches and systemic changes in design education. With a global perspective shaped by living and working in multiple countries, Salolainen brings unique industry experience to her academic role at Aalto University.
