Wool as sustainable and ecological material draws attention of fashion industry.

Nowadays, wool as sustainable and ecological material draws attention of fashion industry. Artists are actively promoting material itself as well as techniques to work with it. Therefore, felting technique is gradually returning to the modern world. It worth noting, that some artists are pioneers in their improved techniques and are developing mainstreams. 

One of the latest collections (Fall 2019) by Victor Horsting and Rolf Snooren was created in cooperation with felt master Claudy Jongstra. Jongstra established her own wool textile technique and created wall art objects using own materials from rare Drenthe Heath sheep breeding and local Dutch botanical pigments (Jongstra, 2022).  Jongstra recent research is focused on recreation of Burgundy black colour used during Renaissance.

Viktor & Rolf Fall 2019 Couture Collection | Vogue

 Creation of 3D objects.

In 1994 Sjoberg published book “Tova: Gammal Teknik Pa Nytt Satt”, which presents research on new approaches to felt. 

Mari Nagy and Istvan Vidak, Hungarian feltmakers, dedicated all their life to explore felt. Masters are promoting folklore felt style and unusual combinations, such as felt with mosaics, yarn, glass etc. 

In 1992 NUNOfelting, new textile direction, was created by Australian master Polly Blakney Stirling in collaboration with Sachiko Kotaka. Within NUNOfelting felt fabrics are laminated with other fabrics; wool fragments are applied to silk surfaces. Subsequently, based on this knowledge, felt masters overcame the standards in felting technique and thus new materials were used in felting.

Charlotte Buch, Danish Master of Modern felting technologies, created a wool shrinkage formula. Buch published two books on felting technique (Buch 1999, 2006), in which dyeing thin felt methods are discussed. Master worked on practical felting challenges. Drapery rules on felt dresses, methods on sleeves fit were developed by Buch 

Modern artists are developing new and more advanced techniques based on ancient felting. Their contribution to art development is inviolately. Each of discussed contributions enriches felting but also art in general.