Soft Circuits and Feminist Textile Futures at Rethread the Needle 2025

I was invited to contribute to a conference built around the theme “Rethread the Needle.” The event focused on reimagining the role of textiles—one of the world’s oldest technologies—in shaping more sustainable, inclusive futures.

While textiles have historically served as tools for protection and expression, today their mass production has become a major driver of ecological, economic, and social crisis. According to the Fashion Revolution Index, enough textiles are produced annually to clothe the next six generations of humanity.

The full title of the conference, “The Future of Living – Rethread the Needle,” framed textiles as a critical site for rethinking production through contemporary practices, digital tools, and machines. It raised questions such as: Can something like permacouture exist? Can we reclaim traditional production knowledge to create non-hegemonic narratives and alternative futures?

As part of the conference program, I led a two-day workshop introducing participants to the possibilities of soft circuit building and application. I also gave a presentation on the current stage of my doctoral research, focusing on the intersection of fiber art and interface design. This was the first time I began testing and introducing the methodology behind the Kaláka Workshop, which combines community-based textile knowledge with feminist approaches to technology.

Events like Rethread the Needle are important spaces for exploring how traditional practices like weaving and sewing can shape post-digital, ecological futures. My participation helped spark new conversations between craft, technology, and feminist research, while continuing to develop collaborative methods in soft interface work.

If you’d like to learn more about Kaláka or soft circuits in feminist design, feel free to reach out.