Department of Design

The Textile and Fashion Class at the Zurich University of the Arts existed from 1895 to 2004, and is a paradigmatic example of the development of a training programme for one of Switzerland's formerly most important economic sectors. Notable figures such as Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Carolina Lanfranconi, Elsi Giauque and Bärbel Birkelbach trained generations of female designers. This research project, led by Prof. Katharina Tietze of the ZHdK Department of Trends & Identity in collaboration with the Museum für Gestaltung (Museum of Design), offers insights into their lives and work. Interviews with contemporary witnesses and in-depth case studies complement the project, which is inspired by the 150^(th) anniversary of the Museum für Gestaltung and the School of Applied Arts (which opened three years later) and is intended as a contribution to feminist design history.

The project is funded by the Zurich Silk Industry Society, the Ernst Göhner Foundation, and the Finance Department of the City of Zurich.

Team: 

• Prof. Katharina Tietze, ZHdK Subject Area Trends & Identity
• Anouk Bonsma, ZHdK Subject Area Trends & Identity 
• Sabine Flaschberger, Museum für Gestaltung Zürich 
• Julia Klinner, Museum für Gestaltung Zürich 

→ Project website