On 24 June 2025, an article appeared in Het Parool about Waag Futurelab's research into textile production, entitled “Work is underway at the Nieuwmarkt and the NDSM site on a sustainable jacket for Femke Halsema: 'The city is full of natural, colourful raw materials”'. The article describes how the raw materials for a jacket for the mayor of Amsterdam are produced entirely in the city of Amsterdam.
100% Amsterdam textiles
The production of this special garment is part of the 100% Amsterdam Textiles project, which Waag Futurelab is carrying out together with The Linen Project and a team of people who spin the yarn, weave the linen fabric and design the jacket. It is made entirely from raw materials produced in Amsterdam and will be worn by Femke Halsema in honour of Amsterdam's 750th anniversary, after which it will be transferred to the Amsterdam Museum.
Locally produced dyes
The article also focuses on the dyeing of the fabric, which is also done with organic materials as part of the Local Color project. This project involves research into the natural colours of plants, bacteria and other living organisms. The plants used in the research to dye textiles are grown on balconies, in small local city gardens and in communal green areas in the Amsterdam region.
TextileLab Amsterdam
The textile research at Waag Futurelab is carried out within the TextileLab, a physical laboratory for fashion, textile and material designers, researchers, artists and creatives who want to explore alternatives to the current textile and clothing industry. We experiment with craftsmanship, heritage, technology, digital fabrication and biology within the textile and clothing world in order to push the boundaries of the industry. The TextileLab Amsterdam consists of an Academy programme, open evenings and events.
Journalist in residence
The article was written by journalist Anna Roos van Wijngaarden, who spent a residency period at Waag Futurelab's TextileLab in 2025 to investigate the status quo of Dutch fashion journalism with a focus on sustainability. She also writes about sustainable fashion for Dutch and international publications such as Harper's Bazaar, Het Financieel Dagblad, and Lampoon Magazine.
